How Bellatrix Became So Evil
by Wicked Bellatrix
Summary: The story of young Bellatrix Black, her years at Hogwarts and her life leading up to her inprisonment in Azkaban.
1. Default Chapter

How Bellatrix Became So Evil  
  
Chapter 1  
  
A dark haired girl of eleven years old stood on platform 9 ¾ saying good bye to her parents, her father was pleading with her "Bellatrix, please try and behave yourself at school"

She kissed his cheek "I promise I will, daddy"

Her mother scoffed "That promise will be broken before that train pulls into Hogsmeade"

A tall beautiful blond girl of fourteen spoke in a superior tone "Don't worry mother, I will keep an eye on her" she then looked at her sister "and I will write home immediately if she does anything wrong"

Bella gave her the finger and her mother smacked her hand "Stop that! We are Blacks and have a reputation to uphold!"

The two girls boarded the train and went their separate ways.

"Get lost Bell, you are not sitting with me and my friends"

Bella sneered at her "As if I would want to"

Bella found an empty compartment and was joined shortly by skinny girl with black hair cut in a sleek bob. "Mind if I join you?"

Bella gestured to the seat across from her "Feel free"

The girl sat back and gave Bella an appraising look "My name is Millicent, but for some reason everyone calls me Lizzie"

Bella smiled "My name is Bellatrix and for obvious reasons, everyone calls me Bella"

Lizzie nodded "So what house do you think you'll be in?"

Bella smiled "Pretty sure I'll be in Slytherin, my whole family is with the exception of my oldest sister,Andromeda, who is a 7th year Ravenclaw. How about you?"

Lizzie pursed her lips "Well, I'm not sure. My father was in Slytherin, but my mother went to Beauxbatons so I guess I could end up anywhere, just hope I'm not in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff" Bella nodded her head vigorously in agreement .

"I will run screaming out of the hall if I'm put in Hufflepuff!"

Just then the food trolley came and they continued their conversation over a feast of chocolate and cakes. At last the train pulled in the station and before they knew it, they were in the Great Hall being sorted. As Bella sat on the stool, the sorting hat was debating her qualities "Hmmmm...ambitious and quite obstinate with a knack for trouble, no doubt that you are..," the hat shouted out to the hall "Slytherin!" Bella joined the Slytherin table, along with Lizzie and devoured the sumptuous feast. They fell into bed well fed and exhausted, it was better than Bella had ever imagined it would be.


	2. Tormenting Narcissa

  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Bella started classes, her and Lizzie added a couple more girls to their group and she was enjoying the freedom of being away from her parents. She was especially enjoying having friends that liked to torment Narcissa almost as much as she did. It was Saturday and also Halloween, the common room was full of boisterous Slytherins waiting for the night's feast, Bella and her friends were among the crowd.

"So is that boy Narcissa's boyfriend?" Lizzie was eyeing up Lucius Malfoy.

Bella rolled her eyes "Yeah, I guess, he came to our house this summer"

Lizzie giggled, "Oooo, did you get to see him with his shirt off? He is just too gorgeous for words!"

Bella made a gagging sound "Please! Don't spoil my appetite for the feast tonight!"

Another friend giggled as well "Oh come on, he's hot and you know it!"

Bella grimaced "He is an complete prat who needs a good kick in the ass, if I had gotten the chance, I would have drowned him in our pool"

Lizzie squealed "So you did see him without his shirt!"

Bella made the gagging sound again, grabbed her throat and made a great show of falling to the floor dead.

A Slytherin boy called out "Bella's dead again, what's that make, about the 4th time this week? "

Bella opened her eyes "Maybe I need mouth to mouth, any volunteers?"

Her friends all burst into fits of giggles and then Narcissa was standing over her, she was not amused

"God Bella, get up! You are such an embarrassment!"

Bella shifted a bit on the floor, an evil grin spread across her face

"Narcissa, why aren't you wearing any panties?" Bella was looking right up Narcissa's skirt. She rolled just in time to avoid Narcissa's foot that was aimed right at her face and now Malfoy had come over to break things up.

"Stop it, she's just trying to start a fight, Narcissa"

Bella was on her feet now "Hey Malfoy, I bet _you_ know where her panties are"

Lucius just sneered at her and he and Narcissa walked out of the common room. Bella and her friends laughed until their sides hurt, then the boy who had spoke earlier spoke again.

"Was she really not wearing any panties?"

It was several minutes before Bella could compose herself, she had laughed so much she had given herself the hiccups.

"Not a (hic) stitch! (hic)"


	3. Heading Home

Chapter 3  
  
It was already time for the Christmas holidays and Bella and Narcissa were boarding the train home. Lucius and Narcissa got a compartment to themselves, Malfoy stuck his head back out the door.

"If you try and bother us, I swear I will curse you so severely that even your own father won't recognize you"

Bella was not impressed "Get stuffed, Malfoy"

She took the compartment next door and was soon joined by her friends. As the journey wore on and the girls were gorging themselves with chocolate, things got quite loud, as you can imagine it would with 6 eleven-year-old girls full of sugar. The door flew open and Narcissa was standing there, furious.

"Will you shut the hell up!"

Bella stood up on her seat "You shut up and go away, you bossy bitch!"

Narcissa flew at Bella, pushed her backwards and she crashed into the wall. "I'm going to kick your ass when we get home, you snotty little bugger!"

Lizzie jumped up and shouted, "You bitch!"

Narcissa shoved her back into her seat "Fuck off, you filthy slag" and with that she stormed out and slammed the door. Bella was rubbing the bump on the back of her head.

"She's going to pay dearly for this, I've got enough dirt on her to get her grounded for the whole holiday!"


	4. The Dark Lord

  
  
**Chapter 4**

**The Dark Lord  
**  
Bella came charging through the door of the study and ran to sit on her father's lap.

"Daddy, you would not believe how rude Narci was on the train home! She said I was a snotty little bugger, pushed me and then called my friend Millicent a slag!"

Her father didn't say a word but looked her very deliberately in the eye and then looked over at the sofa. Bella hadn't even noticed that her father was not alone. She got off his lap and said "Sorry"

He grumbled under his breath and began the introductions "Lord Voldemort, may I introduce my youngest daughter, Bellatrix. She is in her first year at Hogwarts"

The man rose from his seat. He was quite tall, pale with jet black hair and appeared to about forty years old. He extended his hand to her.

"Lovely to meet you Bellatrix. You're a very pretty girl"

She shook his hand "I know who you are, you were in Slytherin too, so am I, see?" She pointed to the emblem on her sweater. "My friends call me Bella"

He smiled charmingly "Always a pleasure to meet a fellow Slytherin. Are we friends then?"

She pretended like she was pondering her answer then she smiled seductively "Yes Lord Voldemort, I think we will be very good friends."

He returned her smile "Good Bella, I have a feeling we will be also"

Just then a loud screech could be heard from the upper floors. Bella's eyes opened wide "Uh oh....I'd better go now" She turned in the doorway "Nice to meet you" she waved and closed the door behind her.

A moment later both men heard a girl yell, "If you touch my things again, you're dead!" Then Bella's voice singing loudly "Narcissa is a slut, she has a big butt" followed by a crash and the voice of a woman shouting in a very angry tone. The girl's father sighed "I wish they would hurry up and kill each other before they drive me completely insane!"

Voldemort nodded, he was still thinking about Bella and her smile.  
  
Later that evening, at dinner, Bella was trying to goad Narcissa into another fight.

"I got to meet Lord Voldemort and you didn't"

Narcissa was nonplussed "So? Who cares?"

Bella rolled her eyes "He's only the darkest wizard in the last hundred years, super powerful and wicked! He was cool"

Narcissa just looked bored. Bella continued "And he said I was pretty, so there!"

That got Narcissa's attention "If he thought you were pretty, he must be the _blindest_ wizard of the last century"

Bella scowled and then blurted out "Narcissa sneaks boys into her dorm room!"

All hell broke loose with that revelation and Bella was still snickering about the fight that had resulted as she went to her room for the night. To her surprise, there was an owl at her window. She let it in and it dropped a small parcel on her pillow and flew back out into the inky sky. She unwrapped the package and inside was a small figurine of a serpent that uncoiled and slithered around in her hand. There was also a note.

_ To my new friend Bella,_

_Welcome to Slytherin. Looking forward to knowing you better_

_ Lord Voldemort_

_ P.S. Let's make this our little secret._  
  
Bella was flushed with excitement; a secret gift from a famous, older dark wizard was just too thrilling. She folded the note, put it in her jewelry box and changed into her nightgown. As she lay in her bed, she smiled and watched the little snake slither around her nightstand.


	5. Not a Boy

**Chapter 5 **

**Not a Boy**

Bella had succeeded in getting Narcissa grounded for the whole holiday, which meant that she was not allowed to see Lucius; to say the least, Narcissa was a little pissed off about it. Her and Bella were at each other's throats the entire time they were home and the fights escalated with each passing day. Two days before they were due back at school, Bella caught Narcissa in her room, she had the little snake that Voldemort had given her in her hand.

"That's mine, put it back!"

Narcissa smiled wickedly and closed her fingers around the little figurine "No, I think I will take it and see how well Satana likes it"

Satana was their mother's dog, a vicious brute that ate everything.

"NO! Give it back! It was a gift!"

Narcissa's lip curled "A gift from who, one of your little friends?"

Being sisters, Narcissa was always able to tell when Bella was trying to hide something; her eyes narrowed "Or is it from a_ boy_ friend, hmmmm?"

Bella was beyond angry "He is not a boy-"

She stopped short and Narcissa's eyes grew wide. "This is from a man, like an adult?"

Bella bit her lower lip and Narcissa continued "Is it from a teacher? You look guilty as sin, I'm telling father!"

Bella grabbed her arm and pleaded "No, please don't tell, please!"

She pulled away and snarled, "If you had a secret to keep, you should have thought about that before you got me grounded, you silly bitch!" And she was off down the steps.

A few minutes later she heard her father bellow up the stairs.

"Bellatrix Black, get down here this instant!"

When she got to the bottom of the stairway her father had the snake in his hand "Who gave this to you?"

Tears began to roll down her cheeks "Daddy, it's no big deal, it was Lizzie's older brother, he came to visit her and he gave it to me"

Narcissa snorted in disbelief "Liar"

Bella put on her best innocent little girl face "Daddy, it's the truth, I swear" He looked at her with an expression of doubt and exasperation, then handed the snake back to her "God, I can't wait till you both go back to school"


	6. Into The Darkness

**Chapter 6**

** Into The Darkness**  
  
Back at Hogwarts, Bella worked harder in some classes than in others. Defense against the dark arts and charms were her favorite classes, herbology and potions were less important in her mind. She also now had a secret that was extremely interesting and it occupied many of her thoughts. Lord Voldemort had sent her a belated Christmas gift when she had returned to school, an illustrated book of hexes and curses along with a note.  
  
_Happy Christmas Bella, _

_I saw this book and thought you would enjoy it. The pictures are particularly nice in this volume. Feel free to write to me anytime you like, I would especially like to hear if you found the book useful. _

_Yours truly,  
  
Lord Voldemort  
_  
She was beside herself with excitement; she had done some reading up on Lord Voldemort and discovered he was even more powerful than she first thought. She also found out he was dangerous and corresponding with him was seriously frowned by the Ministry, who felt he was rekindling an old flame of pureblood supremacy. But for Bella, it was that power and danger that made it all the more thrilling.

She studied the book carefully and slowly began to master some of the spells, making sure however, that no one found out what she was up to. Many of them were harmless jinxes, like a the Pimple Pox curse, but others were a bit darker, such as the Hemlock hex that caused the victim to become severely depressed and suicidal. She wrote back to Voldemort thanking him for the book and to let him know she was wasting no time taking in every bit of knowledge it had to offer. They wrote back and forth several more times before the school year ended and before she knew it, she was on the Hogwarts Express headed home for the summer.  
  
Summers at the Black household were noisy, tempestuous and full of visitors. Bella had Lizzie come stay and Narcissa was allowed to have Lucius visit at the same time. Lizzie was in heaven, watching Lucius by the pool and Narcissa was beyond annoyed with her.

"He's mine Lizzie, so get over it"

Bella yawned and adjusted the top of her bikini. "Don't worry, no one wants your sloppy seconds, gonorrhea girl"

Narcissa slapped her hard in the face "I can't believe you just called me that! You are a horrible girl and by the way, you need some tits to go in that top"

Bella pulled her fist back to retaliate when everyone fell silent, she turned and walking towards them was her father and Lord Voldemort. She quickly dropped her hand and tried to look like she had just been trying to scratch her back, her father was not fooled. He gave her that look that told her he knew exactly what she was up to.

"Bella, Lord Voldemort would like a word with you"

She started to walk over to them and her father rolled his eyes "A robe would be appropriate, don't you think?"

She shrugged and turned back to get it and she noticed Lucius appeared to be in shock, he ran over to her "Do you know him?" She nodded. "Holy shit" was his reply.

Now modestly covered, she walked with Lord Voldemort. "Looks like you are enjoying your holiday" He motioned her towards a bench that was hidden from view of the main house. He looked even paler than before; Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Are you a vampire?"

He laughed, "No, I'm not a vampire, but I am going through a kind of transformation"

She was intrigued "Tell me about it"

He looked at her for a moment; she had a golden tan that made him want to reach out and touch her warm, glowing skin, but he restrained himself. "I am on a quest to become immortal"

Bella gasped "Really, is that possible?"

He had to stop looking at her, so he got up and began to walk away. She thought she had upset him, so she jumped up and grabbed his hand. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" His hand was freezing "How can you be so cold, it must be nearly 30c out here?" Her voice was concerned "You are unwell, my father can get a medi- wizard"

She turned to lead him away and he laughed "Bella, I'm fine, it's part of the process" She looked unsure. Voldemort looked at her small hand in his and was reminded of how young she was. "Honestly Bella, I am fine. I just wanted to see you and wish you a happy holiday, now you had better get back to your friends, off you go" and he reluctantly let go of her hand.

She smiled and waved "Ok, bye then, It was really nice to see you again, maybe next time I can give you a demonstration of the new spells I learned!" and she went back to the pool. Voldemort watched her as she walked away and then couldn't resist the urge to eavesdrop on her and her friends.

Bella rejoined the group by the pool and Lucius was bombarding her with questions.

"Why did he want to talk to you? Do you realize who he is?"

Bella took off her robe and spoke in a haughty tone "Of course I realize who he is and it's none of your business why he wants to talk to me"

Narcissa was not happy that her boyfriend was paying more attention to her sister than to her.

"Oh please, he is probably some perverted pedophile who thinks flat chested Bella is a boy"

Lucius gasped "Narcissa! He is wicked powerful, I wouldn't say stuff like that, if I were you"

Voldemort smiled and thought to himself smart boy but a moment later his smile was replaced by a wide-eyed stare. Bella was pissed.

"I am not flat!" and she whipped off her bathing suit top.

Lucius was loving every minute "Ok, Narcissa and Lizzie, don't let her out do you, let's see what you've got"

Lizzie was already untying her top when Narcissa pushed Lucius into the pool and huffed into the house. Bella and Lizzie jumped into the pool but the fun was cut short as Narcissa returned moments later with their mother in tow. To say she was angry to find a half naked, adolescent pool party in her backyard would have been a grave understatement. Voldemort himself was stunned, girls were not like that when he was a teenager. He was starting to wonder if he bitten off more than he could chew by pursuing Bellatrix, if she was this wild at twelve, how would she be at seventeen?


	7. Blood Traitor

**Chapter 7  
  
Blood Traitor  
**  
The next two school years flew by and Bella managed to only get in a minor amount of mischief and soon she was starting her fourth year at school. But her and Narcissa were not the only members of the Black family to reside at Hogwarts, Sirius Black; their cousin was now a first year student. He was tall with dark hair that fell into his eyes in a way that was extremely endearing; he was, even at eleven, a very good-looking boy. At his sorting they were horrified, but not really surprised, that he was in Gryffindor and not Slytherin, he always had been a disappointment to the family name.

Earlier that summer, at a family picnic, Bella had tried to get rid of the little blood traitor by plunging a carving knife into his back, but had gotten caught sneaking up behind him, thus he escaped death for the time being. Her father (who had been the one who had caught her) had forbidden her from murdering anyone while she was at school but Sirius's mother had sent her a note that said "Nice try"

She eyed Sirius as he took his seat at the Gryffindor table and when he saw her watching, her face broke into a grin that could only be described as one of pure malice. In return, he sneered back and mouthed the word 'bitch' then turned and took his seat. Bella could not wait to try out her favorite trip jinx on him.  
  
At fourteen, Bellatrix had blossomed into a very attractive young woman with full, lush lips that begged to be kissed, long dark hair that smelled like roses and a curvaceous figure that even her school robes could not disguise. She was never at a loss for admirers. She had so many admirers in fact, that before Halloween rolled around, she knew the best ways to sneak into the boy's dormitories of every single house. She also found out that shagging the potion masters teaching assistant was doing wonders for her marks in that class. It was these "tutoring sessions" that caused her first of many major altercations with Sirius.  
  
Bella had gone to the young assistants office after dinner one night and hadn't realized that the door didn't close all the way. They had their usual passionate encounter and when Bella stepped out into the hallway to go back to her room, Sirius was leaning against the wall, smiling.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A little Slytherin slut slinking back to her common room" She gave him the finger and replied, "He is tutoring me, you prat. I needed some extra help on antidotes"

He laughed that bark like laugh that she hated so much "All I saw was tutoring on how get that guy off so you can pass the class" He laughed again at the look on her face "Oh yeah Trixie, I saw you, and I must say, bloody nice form"

Bella did not blush, she didn't care that he had seen her, but she knew she was in a very bad position. "Are you going to tell?"

He smiled, and then took off running yelling back "Too right I am!"

Bella pulled her wand, flicked it and Sirius fell in a series of summersaults landing flat on his back. Bella clapped as she walked up to him "Oh well done, bloody nice form there" She smiled down at him. "Trip jinx"

He reached out, grabbed her ankle and pulled, knocking her to the ground. They were locked together in a battle for her wand when three older Slytherin boys pulled them apart.

"Are you lost Gryffindor loser? The dungeons are our territory" Sneered a burly boy who had flunked a couple of years so he was a twenty-year old seventh year student.

"You know Goyle, I think he must be lost." Laughed a tall, attractive blond boy.

"This guy needs to be taught how to treat a lady, Lucius" Said the third boy, a sixth year named Nott, who was curling his fingers into fists.

They had every intention of giving Sirius a severe beating. Sirius, who knew he was going to get his ass trounced anyways, spat out. "A lady? Is that what Slytherins call the house whore? Because in Gryffindor, we call whores Trixies"

Bella walked up to him, slowly licked her lips, savoring the moment like it was a fine wine and then punched her cousin as hard as she could right in the stomach. He doubled over and would have fallen if two of the boys had not been holding his arms. "My dearest Sirius, you are no match for me and you never will be!"

She was only inches from his face and he sealed his fate by spitting right at her. She wiped his spit from her cheek with her bare hand and then slapped his face with the same hand. "Lucius, show this little blood traitor what Slytherins think of foul little muggle lovers"

The boys smiled and with a disturbing amount of glee, began to punch and kick Sirius mercilessly. After about a minute, Bella called them off. Sirius had a bloody nose and lip and the beginnings of a black eye, he was lying face down on the floor trying to catch his breath. She bent down and grabbed him by the hair and growled; "Don't cross me Sirius, because this was only a little taste of what I can have done to you, that is, if I don't choose to do it to you myself"

She stood back up and sauntered down the hallway with the other Slytherins as if she had just had a quick chat with an old mate, and in her mind, that's what it was. Except the mate needed a little persuasion to see her point of view, that's all.


	8. Special Girl

**Chapter 8  
  
Special Girl**  
  
Another Christmas holiday was soon upon them and the Black family was attending a party at the Malfoy estate. Lucius's parents threw a grand ball every Christmas that was a veritable who's who of important people in the magical community. Narcissa was beside herself with excitement but also worried that Bella would do something to embarrass her.

"Please Bell, act civilized for once in your life, I don't want Lucius's parents to think we are of sub standard breeding."

Bella scoffed at her nervousness "Narcissa, _we_ are the cream of the crop when it comes to bloodlines, our lineage is purer than even the high and mighty Malfoys. Why do you even care what they think?"

Narcissa looked like she was going to explode with anticipation and she finally burst out. "If this party goes well, Lucius and I are going to get married as soon as we finish school!"

Bella looked at her sister incredulously "Why would you want to get married?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes "Because we are in love stupid!"

"So? Why do you need to get married, what about when you stop being in love?" The whole idea of being tied to one man the rest of your life was completely inane to Bellatrix.

Narcissa looked as if she might cry "What a horrible thing to say! We will never stop being in love, Bella"

"Oh for god's sake, don't cry like a baby, I'm sorry. Of course you two will be in love until you are a pair rotting corpses in the family mausoleum."

"Bellatrix!"

Bella threw her hands up in the air; Narcissa didn't seem to see the romance in her last comment. "Fine, fine! I promise to be on my best behavior"  
  
The party was an opulent affair with rich foods and plenty of flowing champagne; Bella was deeply impressed, the Malfoy's did indeed know how to put on a gala celebration. It was that abundance of flowing liquor that found Bella a bit tipsy by the time midnight rolled around so she decided to go for a walk in the cold, crisp winter air to clear her head. Fairies lit the bushes that bordered the winding path and a sparkling fountain was at the far end of the elaborate and meticulously maintained garden She sat down on the edge of the fountain and pondered the idea of going home. There were not very many young people at the party and, as she had promised to behave, she was very bored.

"You look very beautiful tonight, Bellatrix"

She jumped at the sound of his voice; Bella was so deep in thought that she had not noticed Lord Voldemort approaching. She stood up and smiled, she did look beautiful in her dark green, strapless velvet gown, and her hair falling about her shoulders in loose curls.

"Thank you Lord Voldemort and Happy Christmas"

He returned her smile "Why are you out here and not inside enjoying the festivities?"

She shrugged "Narcissa made me promise to behave so the Malfoy's would approve of her marrying their son, so thus, I am not allowed to have any fun"

He laughed quietly "Well, now that I am here, I think things are going to liven up quite a bit, will you escort me inside?"

Bella looked up at him and gave a wicked little smile. "I would love to"  
  
Voldemort raised his hand and the French doors flew open, causing everyone to turn and look. That was just what he wanted, to make a grand entrance and, with a beautiful young girl on his arm, it was all the better. Bella was enjoying it too, she could hear people whispering "Whose that girl?" The Malfoys came up to greet their most important guest

"My Lord, we are honored that you have decided to grace us with your presence"

Bella saw Narcissa grinning at her from across the room, she knew that her acquaintance with Voldemort had sealed the deal, for as far as the Malfoys were concerned, anyone who was good enough for Lord Voldemort was good enough for them. An elf brought a tray of champagne glasses and Voldemort took one for himself and gave one to Bella.

"A toast!" The room fell silent and all raised their glasses. "To pureblood supremacy across this great land we live in!"

He touched his glass to Bella's and they drank to the toast together. Voldemort whispered in her ear "I have business to discuss, but I will find you to say goodbye before I leave"

There was much talk the rest of the night about Bella; everyone wanted to meet the girl who strode in on the Dark Lord's arm. Narcissa ran over and hugged her. "That was brilliant! I bet I get a ring before the holiday is over!"

Bella looked around at the grand manor house "Well, it had better be a big one, I'd say they can afford it"

"Oh, Bell" Narcissa sighed, "You have no sense of romance at all" and she glided away, as if on air, to find her future husband.  
  
Finally, as the party was winding down, Voldemort caught her eye and she followed him back out to the garden. They walked down the path until they were back at the fountain. The moonlight reflected off the water casting an orchestra of dancing shimmers around them, Bella thought it was a bit romantic, seductive even.

"Thank you for being my escort tonight, I think we made quite a memorable entrance, don't you?"

She smiled, Voldemort had on black dress robes with red and silver embroidery, he was a striking figure that radiated power and authority. "I have never felt so special in my whole life" she blushed a little and looked up at him "I'm really not worthy of your attention"

He reached out and stroked her hair, she was so desirable but still so young. He looked into her upturned face; her lips were parted as if she was waiting for him to kiss her. He put his hand to her cheek, he wanted to kiss her, and it took all of his strength to stop himself from putting his lips to hers, from pulling her close and feeling her body next to his. He ran his thumb over her moist lips and then slowly moved his hand down her neck, she put her hands on his chest, he was so close to her now.

He spoke in barely more than a whisper "My beauty, you are more worthy than you know, I think we will have many memorable occasions together,"

Bella blushed deeply and replied breathlessly "I can't wait"

He slid his hand down her arm and put his hand over hers. "Neither can I. I will see you soon"

He slowly backed away, finally letting go of her hand, and then he was gone with a resounding crack. She stood there for a long time, unable to move, not wanting to lose the moment. No man had ever had that kind of mesmerizing power over her; she would have let him take her without hesitation. She shivered, but not from the cold. It was time to go home.

Back at her house, she found a Christmas present on her pillow; inside the finely wrapped box was a necklace of fine silver chain with a charm of a Celtic eternity knot. It was from Lord Voldemort.


	9. Caught In the Act

**Chapter 9  
  
Caught In The Act  
  
**Bellatrix returned to school after Christmas very much preoccupied with thoughts of Lord Voldemort. She had wanted him to kiss her that night out in the garden and there was a moment when she was sure he was going to. _Stop it Bella_, she reprimanded herself _why would he want you, a fourteen- year-old girl, when he was a 43-year-old wizard who could have any woman he wanted?_ But what about the necklace, surely it meant something. She needed to put this schoolgirl crush out of her mind and focus on the task at hand, school.  
  
The workload for fourth years after the holiday was tremendous now and Bella was forced to spend a lot of time in the library. School work made Bella very cross, so Sirius and his little gang of Gryffindors made easy targets for her to vent her frustrations. Bombarding James Potter with shelf full of flying books and a well-placed Boil hex on Peter Pettigrew was just the beginning of her fun. Remus Lupin, who always looked on the verge of snuffing it at any moment, was always trying to reason with her.

"Bellatrix, why can't you just face it that Sirius will never be like the rest of his family, he can't help the way he feels"

Bella would roll her eyes at him and shake her head "You're so sappy Lupin, are you sure you aren't supposed to be in Hufflepuff?"

He would shrug his shoulders and back away. Only a fool would turn his back to her. James Potter, Sirius's best friend, seemed to almost enjoy the challenge of Bellatrix, but he always did like any attention he got from pretty girls, even if it resulted in a duel that got him detention. Peter was the pathetic one, always the easiest victim, relying on the others to save his skin time after time. But the showdowns between her and Sirius were often quite violent and more than once they ended up in the hospital wing, the headmasters office or both. Bella had suffered a broken arm and ankle, a serious concussion and a multitude of bruises. Sirius had sustained a broken rib and wrist, removal of all the bones in his right leg, a lost tooth and too many bruises and minor lacerations to count. What was scary is that many of the injuries were not from magic, but from hand to hand combat. Bella had received the concussion when Sirius pushed her down the grand staircase and when she retaliated, days later, by punching him in the face, there went his tooth. Finally, when it became obvious to Dumbledore that someone was going to die, he threatened them both with expulsion if the attacks did not stop. They agreed, grudgingly, to a truce, but they still continued to do minor jinxes and hexes on each other and never missed an opportunity to ridicule the others friends.

One such opportunity came in the spring after the last Quidditch game of the year. Slytherin had won the cup and Bella was having a private celebration with Bryce Zelnick, the team's keeper. Bryce was a stunningly handsome seventh year boy with hair black as midnight and eyes blue as a cloudless summer sky, who was leaning against the wall of the stadium, being kissed eagerly by Bellatrix, as he, just as eagerly, ran his hands up her skirt. They had no idea they were being watched until the next day at breakfast.

There was a piece of paper at every place setting as she arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast. It was a photo of a girl kissing a boy, the boy had pulled her skirt up, exposing her bottom, and the girl had neglected to wear panties that particular day. The caption read '_Hey, Slytherin slut, nice butt!'_ Bella dropped her head onto her plate, though you couldn't see her face in the photo, there was no question of who it was, no one else in school had hair like hers. As more students came in for breakfast, the more stares she got until she could take no more and went outside. James and Sirius had followed her.

"Hey Trixie" Sirius yelled, "Your backside is more photogenic than your face!"

Bella turned, her face twisted in fury "You little shit, I'm going to kick your ass!"

She ran at him, knocking him to the ground, James pulled her off of him and she elbowed him in the ribs for doing so.

"Get off of me Potter!" Bella shook him loose "I should have known it was you, Sirius, you sick little pervert. You know, I think you get off on watching me with guys, that's extra sick being that you are my cousin!"

Sirius smiled "Actually, it was James's idea to take the photo, so I think he's the one getting off, really"

James nodded and winked at her. "So, did you forget your panties today too? He reached for the hem of her skirt.

She smacked his hand away, "Sod off, both of you!" and she went back inside the school. As Bella's fourth year came to a close and exams were finally over, she was looking forward to a summer holiday free of Gryffindors, mud bloods and all other do-gooders. She was ready to be bad.


	10. Imperius Curse

**Chapter 10 **

**Imperius Curse**  
  
Bella was enjoying a leisurely summer lounging by the pool by day and hanging out at the local pub by night. The Dirty Goblin was a wizard pub near her house and even though she was just 15, she easily passed for 17, so no one seemed to have a problem selling her whatever she wanted to drink and her drink of choice was fire whiskey. The pub was a favorite stop for wizard travelers and she met many interesting new people, most of them men. On one particularly interesting night, she had chatted up two very attractive men of about 25 years old and eventually they ended up in a room upstairs. As one of the men kissed her, the other was behind her removing her dress. It was by far the wildest, most depraved night of sex she had ever had and she loved it. She had wanted to be bad this summer, and now, she was positively wicked. Why in the world would a girl want to get married when there were so many lovely men to experience?  
  
Summer was nearly over and she had only had a single owl from the one man she wanted to experience more than any other, Lord Voldemort. For her birthday, he had sent an inlaid wood box with expensive stationary and a silver-tipped quill inside. She had used the stationary to write him a thank you note but he had not written back to her, she tried very hard not to be disappointed, but she was. She had been looking forward to seeing Lord Voldemort again, hoping that the next time he would, perhaps, kiss her, but he seemed to have lost interest. She was alone at the house for the next two days as everyone else was off visiting friends, she decided she could sulk just as easily at home as in the south of France, so she stayed behind. Anyways, she liked having the place to herself, it was quiet and she could do whatever she wanted, when she wanted, and that was Bella's style of living.  
  
Now that she had the house to herself, one of the things she liked to do, but wasn't allowed to when her parents were home, was swim in the moonlight. The part that her parents disapproved of was that she liked to do it in the nude. She stood by the edge of the pool and let her towel fall to the ground, the warm evening air caressing her body, she dipped her toe in the water; it was perfect. She dove in and swam to the other side, the water was cool and sensuous against her naked skin; it was an incredible feeling of liberation. As her face broke through the water, someone standing by the edge startled her. Lord Voldemort was looking down at her with a huge smile on his face.

"It_ is_ a nice night for a swim, isn't it?"

Bella dove back under and swam back to the other side, hoisted herself out and wrapped the towel around her. She was wondering how long he had been watching her.

"I'm afraid my father is away until Monday, but if it is urgent, I can send him an owl." She was shivering slightly.

His smile grew wider "I am not here to see your father, Bella, I am here to see you"

She glanced down at her towel-clad body "I wasn't expecting guests, if you follow me, I will get you a drink while I change into something more suitable"

As he followed her, he thought the towel suited her fine but he kept that to himself. She fixed him a drink and went upstairs to change. When she came back down, she was wearing a short, black cotton sundress and her damp hair was in a knot held in place with her wand. She poured herself a whiskey and sat down.

"Bella, I want to know how your Dark Arts training is coming along"

She sighed "Well, to be honest, I feel Hogwarts curriculum is limited. We are only learning the defense of curses and not the curses themselves, it's very one sided. If it wasn't for the books you have given me, I would be very ignorant"

He nodded, his voice full of loathing, "Yes, it was the same in my day, didn't expect that muggle lover Dumbledore to change anything in that respect. I am glad that you are able to teach yourself from books, it shows you have ambition, drive and cleverness" He paused for a moment, then spoke carefully "Bella, what do you know of the unforgivable curses?"

Bella thought for a moment "Well, I know that 'Avada Kedavra' can kill, 'Cruciatus' is for torture, right? And 'Imperius' makes you do things that other people want"

"Very good, you have the basic idea. Can I put you under the Imperious curse, just so you can see what it's like?"

Bella nodded apprehensively, she wasn't sure if she wanted to be under his total control. He pulled out his wand and she braced herself.

"Imperio"

She was blissfully unaware of anything, it was really quite peaceful, she could hear Voldemort speaking.

"Bella, I want you to kiss me"

She obediently sat on his lap, put her arms around his neck, pushed him back in his seat and kissed him deeply. Her lips were so soft; the kiss was not that of a young girl, but that of an experienced woman. He was surprised; he had expected a peck on the cheek. Voldemort decided to carry things a bit further, he whispered in her ear.

"Take off your dress"

She stood back up and pulled the dress off over her head, she didn't have on anything underneath except the necklace he had given her. Voldemort ran his hands up her naked torso; her tan skin was so warm and smooth. He fingered the silver charm around her neck; she smiled and put her hand over his. He pressed his lips to her bare stomach, she smelled faintly of vanilla, at that moment he wanted her more than anything else in the world.

"Lay down on the sofa" He murmured.

She obeyed, stretching her arms above her head and licking her full lips. He had not planned on things going even remotely this far but it was too late now, he removed his robes and made love to her. It was immediately apparent to him that she was not a virgin; she was skilled at the art of pleasuring a man and equally skilled at getting what she wanted from him, as well. He realized he needn't have put her under a spell; she would have probably made love to him willingly. When his lust was satiated and he had re-dressed, he told her to put her dress back on and sit back in the chair. He lifted the curse.

"What do you remember?"

She looked surprised "What do you mean?"

He smiled "I had you under the Imperius curse, remember?"

She gasped, "Wow, that was so weird, I don't remember anything, I didn't do anything stupid did I?"

He laughed quietly "No Bella, you were perfect, I just want you to know what it feels like so you can learn to fight it. When you are unable to resist it, you are an easy target for those who wish to bend you to their will"

She smiled "I am glad you are pleased, another drink?"

He smiled and leaned back in his chair as he handed her his glass. "I am more pleased than you could possibly imagine"


	11. Bella the House Elf

**Chapter 11 **

**Bella the House Elf  
**  
Bella had no recollection of what had happened with Voldemort over the summer and returned to Hogwarts to start her fifth year of school. The workload was tremendous, but her favorite teaching assistant was back for potions this year and Voldemort was also writing her more often now, so she was very busy indeed, but pretty happy too. Bella was sure that Voldemort wanted her to work for him after school, his letters often contained instructions on dark curses and he sent her several more books on advanced Dark Arts. She had plenty of people to practice her newfound spells on too, Sirius and his Gryffindor cronies were her favorite victims. Peter Pettigrew was the easiest one to nail with a well-aimed hex, Sirius and James, the most challenging.

It was one of those hexes (a particularly nasty one that produced profuse vomiting) that brought Bella to Dumbledore's office yet again.

He told her to sit "Bellatrix, where did you learn that spell"

She bit her lip; he was the last person she wanted to find out about her relationship with Voldemort "I found it in a book"

He raised an eyebrow "And where did you get this book?"

She looked at the Phoenix sitting on its perch, _flashy bird_ she thought.

"Bellatrix, where did you get the book?" his voice showing just a hint of impatience.

She looked at him defiantly "I stole it from Knockturn Alley"

He nodded slowly "I see, so no one gave it to you?"

She shook her head "No sir"

He looked her in the eye, she knew he didn't believe a word she was saying "Bellatrix, I suggest you think very hard about the choices you are making, I would hate to see you end up wasting your considerable talent"

She nodded "May I go now, sir? I have a lot of homework"

He sighed quietly "You may go"  
  
The next morning at breakfast an owl swooped down and dropped a red envelope right on her plate of eggs.

"Oh bugger shit" Bella groaned.

Lizzie laughed out loud "Bella! That's like the 5th one you have gotten this year and it's not even Christmas yet!"

Bella covered her ears as the smoking howler exploded in the Great Hall, her father's voice amplified a thousand times  
  
"_**BELLATRIX BLACK!! IF I GET ONE MORE LETTER ABOUT YOUR BEHAVIOR, I SWEAR I WILL PULL YOUR ASS OUT OF THAT SCHOOL AND MAKE YOU COME HOME AND WORK LIKE A HOUSE ELF! ONE MORE, BELLATRIX, ONE MORE!  
**_  
"Nice one, Black, best one so far!" a fellow Slytherin gave her the thumbs up.

She looked over at the Gryffindor table and Sirius and his mates were waving at her, James shouted to her.

"You'll make a great elf, Trixie!"

She gave him the finger and went back to her breakfast. Later in the library, James caught up with her.

"So Black, I'm guessing that vomiting hex you did on Peter was the reason for that fine howler?" He was truly enjoying tormenting her.

She flung her bag onto a table and, to her great dismay; he sat right across from her.

"Go away Potter, I have a lot of studying to do" She was in no mood for his insufferable smirking and snide remarks.

"Don't get me wrong, I thought it was quite funny myself" He winked at her, he knew she couldn't do anything to him, as the librarian was not far off. Just then Remus Lupin walked up.

"James, let's get our own table" He was not foolish enough to provoke Bellatrix Black, he knew full well that if she couldn't hex you now, she would make damn sure to get you later.

"Listen to your little friend, James, and bugger off"

James just couldn't help himself though. "Oh come on, I think you like me, I am the cute one after all"

Bella didn't bother to look up from her book. "Actually, Remus is the cute one, you are the obnoxious one, my lovely cousin is the arrogant one and Peter is the pathetic one. Now go away"

James feigned distress, putting his hand to his heart "I can't believe you think Remus is the cute one! Everyone knows that's me!"

Remus rolled his eyes and pulled on James's sleeve. "Get up before she puts a shrinking curse on James Jr."

That made Bella look up and smile. "That's a wonderful suggestion, Lupin, and with my wand under the table, no one will see me do it!"

James jumped up with a yelp. "Ok, ok, you win, I'll go"

He hastily gathered his things and they moved to the far end of the library and, soon after, Sirius joined them. He waved at her and sent a note over that contained a cartoon of her as an elf called Trixie. She sent it back with a drawing of herself dancing on his grave and a P.S. that said _Call me Trixie one more time and this drawing will come to pass sooner that later!_

Bella decided that it was a lost cause to try and study now, so she headed off to potions class early.  
  
The potions master was a cranky old man who smelled like combination of rotten garlic and very dirty socks. He was prowling the room as they brewed their poison antidotes, pointing out mistakes as he went.

"Miss Black, your brew should be clear, not green, truly pathetic" She scowled at him, her day was just getting better and better.

"Mr. Ventnor, would you please arrange a remedial potions class with Miss Black, she is in dire need of it"

He smiled at Bella "Of course professor, I will see to it "He came over and while he helped her fix her antidote he whispered in her ear "I will see you in my office after dinner tonight"

She giggled, "I can't wait"

Things were looking up!


	12. Remedial Potions

**Chapter 12**

At 6:00 Bella knocked on twenty-one year old Assistant Professor Graham Ventnor's door, he opened it and smiled "Please come in" His office was small and the furniture a bit shabby but there was a lovely old velvet sofa that was perfect for two lovers to have a passionate encounter.

He immediately pulled her onto his lap and began kissing her hungrily "I missed you over the summer"

She was unbuttoning her shirt "I was hoping you would be back this year, I learned a lot over the summer and I can't wait to show you"

He helped her take her shirt off and kissed her bare shoulder. "What did you learn, new potions?"

She giggled, "Oh I didn't learn shit about potions, love, but I think you will be pleased anyway"

"This lesson will be long and hard, I hope you are prepared" He ran his hand up her thigh and under her skirt.

She unhooked her bra and slowly revealed her sumptuous breasts "I promise to work until you are satisfied with my performance"

In no time at all, they had shed all of their clothing. Bella slid off his lap, knelt on the floor between his legs and began to pleasure him better than any other woman had done before, his moans of ecstasy fueled her own desire.

It was almost 9:00 by the time they finally stopped, Bella had to be back in her common room in five minutes.

"Oh bugger shit, I can't get in trouble again so soon, I'd better go" She hastily dressed and ran all the way to the common room, skidding through the door just in time.

Lizzie looked up and tried to stifle a laugh "Um Bell, I think you had better fix that sweater"

Bella looked down and smiled, her sweater was on inside out "Oops!"

Lizzie put down her quill "So, how was remedial potions?"

Bella flopped down into the chair next to her and sighed, "It was very _hard_ work " They both burst out laughing and noticed that a second year boy was looking at them.

"May we help you?" Bella asked in a very condescending tone.

He was just bold enough to look her in the eye for a moment and then he turned back to his books. Bella stared at him, he had long black hair that was somewhat greasy and a rather long nose, but there was something about the way he had looked into her eyes that made her temporarily forget about Professor Ventnor. Lizzie prompted her by clearing her throat.

"Ahem! Details please, Bellatrix"

"What? Oh, sorry" Bella shook her head and turned her back to the boy.

"Come on, lets go up to the dorm and I'll tell you all about it"

Up in the dorm, the girls gathered around to hear about the sexy, young assistant. And Bella did not disappoint, she told them about every single kiss and caress from beginning to end in graphic detail.

Lizzie moaned, "Oh that makes me want to fail potions!"

Bella stretched out luxuriously on her bed. "So many men, so little time. I think I should like to shag that Ravenclaw keeper this weekend"

Marta Smyth chimed up "Oooo Bell, that cousin of yours is cute, can you introduce me?"

Bella grimaced "Ugh! Sirius is a major git, plus he is only twelve!"

Lizzie giggled as she hung her head off the edge of her bed so she was looking at Bella upside down. "He will be absolutely dead sexy by the time he is fifteen, makes me drool just thinking about it"

Bella threw a pillow at her "I guess I will just have to kill him so I don't have to listen you guys gush over him"

Marta pouted, "Can you at least wait till I shag him first?"


	13. Not So Secret Kiss

**Chapter 13**

**Not So Secret Kiss**

Bella was dreading the upcoming Christmas holidays this year. Between listening to her mother and Narcissa planning her wedding to Lucius and the Black family party being at 12 Grimmauld Place this year, it was sure to be a dismal homecoming. She would rather stay at school and shag Professor Ventnor all holiday; the only reason that she wanted to come home was the hope that she might get to see Lord Voldemort. The one bright spot, so far, had been that her mother was far too busy to be bothered with taking her shopping for her party dress, so her father gave her a bag of gold and sent her to Diagon Alley all by herself. She was allowed to stay overnight at The Leaky Cauldron and return home the next day.

As soon as she arrived in London she hooked up with Lizzie, whose family lived in town. They shopped like mad and then returned to The Cauldron for a night of fun. Tom, the bartender, was easily bamboozled by their good looks and soon was serving them the finest firewhiskey he had. They got quite drunk and soon had the whole pub singing Christmas carols; overall it was a brilliant time!

Back at home, it was back to dismal reality.

"Did you find a decent dress?" Bella's mother looked to be in a foul mood, as usual.

"Yes, I found a dress" Bella replied as she tried to maneuver around her and get upstairs.

"You had better not look like some kind of twenty Sickle whore!" her mother shouted up the steps after her.

Bella got to her room and shut the door. She began to unpack all of her purchases and when she pulled out the party dress she smiled to herself, _twenty Sickles indeed, a thousand is more like it!_ Her mother was definitely going to be displeased.

The night of the party Narcissa and her mother apparated to 12 Grimmauld Place, Bella and her father would be taking a portkey, since Bella was only 15. When she came down the steps in her gown, her father just shook his head.

"Your mother is going to have a fit when she sees you"

The gown was made of a black clingy fabric that hugged every curve of her body, but that was not what her mother was going to be furious about. What she was going to be furious about was the plunging V neckline that was cut down to nearly her navel.

She just smiled "Oh don't be such a wart, let's go"

His mouth twitched just a bit "Come on then, grab on"

The portkey yanked them along until they landed behind a clump of trees by 12 Grimmauld. As they walked closer, the house appeared and the door was opened by an elf.

"Miss Bellatrix looks so lovely this evening and so does sir" He bowed to them.

Bella giggled, "Kreacher you are my favorite elf, you know" She patted him on the head.

"Will Miss Bellatrix be trying to kill my mistress's ungrateful blood traitor of a son this evening?" There was hope and anticipation in his voice.

Her father answered the question in a warning tone, "Miss Bellatrix will be killing NO ONE this evening!"

Bella shrugged her shoulders "Sorry Kreacher, I would if I could" She then winked at him and headed towards the party.

Her aunt and uncle greeted her warmly and then she walked over to the bar.

"I don't think so" Her mother had headed her off. "That dress is disgusting, I should send you home"

Bella stomped off muttering under her breath "Damn bitch, can't wait to go back to school"

"Tut tut, such vulgar language, Trixie, that's not very lady like" Sirius was smirking at her along with James Potter.

Bella cringed and groaned "Not you two, holy shit I need a drink!"

"Will whiskey do?" Bella turned, Regulus, Sirius's brother, had just come in the room carrying a bottle of liquor. He handed it to Bella who took a long draught.

"You saved the night, Reggie" She felt better already. "Anybody else here yet?"

Regulus sat down, he wanted to impress his older cousin and his theft of liquor had obviously pleased Bella, he smiled, "Nobody fun"

Bella looked over at James and Sirius "Get lost you two, this is our room now"

Sirius jumped up and got right in her face "This is my house, you don't give the orders here!"

Bella smiled placatingly "Fine, stay, just don't blame me if your young minds get seriously warped by what you witness in here tonight"

James finally spoke up, "Is there a chance I may get to witness your tits falling out of that dress, if so, I'm staying"

Sirius pulled a face "James! If that happens, I swear I will vomit right on you!"

Bella's face broke into a perfectly wicked grin, "So, if I flash my tits" she grabbed either side of the neck of her dress "It would make you so sick you would have to leave?"

Sirius put his hands up "Don't do it!"

The next sound was James shouting "WooHoo!" Sirius was cringing with his hands covering his eyes and Regulus was clapping like mad. Sirius grabbed James "Come on!" and began to pull him from the room. Bella could hear James protesting as he was dragged from the room "What kind of mate are you? One more look then, you have to admit they are really nice......"

Bella laughed as she readjusted her dress. Regulus was smiling from ear to ear.

"I say, if you weren't my cousin, I'd do you right now"

Bella took drink of whiskey "Don't fret, Lizzie will be here soon, she'll have you"

It was nearly midnight when Lord Voldemort made his appearance. Bella was in the kitchen begging Kreacher to give her a bottle of wine since her mother had forbidden the bartender to give her anything stronger than club soda.

"Please Kreacher, you really are my favorite elf and it would make me so happy"

"Bellatrix, since when do you drink wine?" Kreacher's eyes grew wide and he fell into a deep bow, Bella turned and smiled "Lord Voldemort, Happy Christmas" Voldemort's eyes were nearly as big as Kreachers when he saw her dress. "Happy Christmas to you as well and here" he pulled a silver flask from his robes "with a dress like that, you need whiskey"

She reached out for the flask and took a drink then smiled as she handed it back. "Ahh, much better, thanks"

Before returning the flask to his pocket, Voldemort took a deep drink himself, with a dress like that _he_ needed whiskey.

"You look truly stunning tonight, Bella" He took her hand "Let's go make an entrance, shall we?"

They walked into the ballroom arm in arm and the crowd became instantly silent.

Bella's uncle came over to welcome his most important guest and once everyone had a champagne glass in hand, Voldemort raised his in a toast.

"My loyal friends and supporters, we grow ever stronger, soon we will be unstoppable" Then he looked directly into Bella's eyes "Soon we will have everything we desire!" a resounding "Here, here" went up in the room and everyone drank to the toast. As people came up and talk turned to discussion of how to further Voldemort's quest for power, Bella wandered away. She was lost in her own thoughts, did Lord Voldemort desire _her_, she had seen that look before in the eyes of other men she had been with. Or was it just the alcohol fueling her imagination.

It was very late by the time Voldemort pulled Bella aside into an empty room. "I wanted to give you your present in person" He pulled a small box from his pocket and handed it to Bella.

She opened the box and inside was a pair of emerald stud earrings, a third of a carat each, set in platinum. She looked up, at a loss for words. Voldemort took advantage of her silence and leaned down and kissed her. Bella parted her full, sensuous lips and he pulled her into a passionate embrace. She slipped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his, she wanted him to take her right then and there. He didn't want to let her go but knew he had to or else his desire would overpower him.

"I don't want you to stop" Bella whispered as he pulled away.

He looked at her beautiful face and it took all that he had to deny her "No, Bella, the time is not right, not yet"

She nodded "The earrings are so lovely, thank you"

He cupped her upturned face in his hands "Happy Christmas, Bellatrix" he slowly let go of her and then disapparated on the spot.

Bella was couldn't believe what had just happened and sat down on a chair in a state of shock. The most powerful wizard in the world had just kissed her, and the worst part was, she couldn't even brag about it to anyone! This was a secret that was going to be hard to keep. What she didn't know, however, was that the moment she shared with Lord Voldemort had not been as secretive as she thought, someone had seen them, and he wasn't at all pleased.


	14. A Man Above The Law

**Chapter 14**

**A Man Above The Law**

The next morning Bella woke up and found her parents arguing in her father's study.

"Dammit, I will not allow it!" Her father bellowed.

"I don't see why not, it is a perfectly acceptable match really" was her mother's glib reply.

Her father was livid now "Acceptable!? How can you say that? She's fifteen and he is well over 40! Fifteen for gods sake"

"Well, you shouldn't have let her come to the party in that dress"

"That dress had nothing to do with it! You didn't see her face, she wasn't even surprised that he did it, this may have not been the first time!" Bella heard something glass shatter, then her mother's voice.

"I really don't see what the problem is, he is on the way to great power, she could do worse"

"NO! I will not let him turn her into his personal whore! She is still just a child!"

Bella's mother laughed a high pitched, condescending laugh "You are blind when it comes to our youngest daughter, she has already been the whore of dozens of men, at least this man has power and position"

"Lord Voldemort will never have her, never" He stormed out of the room and saw Bella standing there. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"You stay away from him, you hear me! Stay away!" He pushed her from him so hard she fell to the floor, her mother stood over her and sneered,

"Get up, you spend enough time on your back as it is"

Bella jumped up and ran up the steps, once she got in her room she quickly dressed, repacked her trunk and left the house. She would just go back to school early, better there than at home. She stuck out her wand and was soon aboard the Knight Bus, near tears and unsure what to do next, she decided she needed a drink and some time to think before she went back to Hogwarts.

She got off the bus in Hogsmeade and headed right for the Hogs Head pub. The proprietor, a smarmy old geezer with questionable morals, had no qualms about the age of his clientele as long as they had money.

She was on her second drink when a seedy wizard in very ratty robes began to attempt to chat her up. As the man would not give up, she decided to leave, the last thing she remembered was standing up.

She could hear two men talking, one voice she recognized as the man from the bar.

"Look at 'er, best one I found for ya yet"

The other man spoke "She is very pretty, I am pleased. You may go now"

She heard the sound of coins exchanging hands "Glad to be of service, Mr. Lestrange" A door closed and locked.

She could feel someone sit next to her and realized she was on a bed, she tried to focus her eyes on the man but could not; it felt like she was drowning in a mass of fog.

"Still a bit awake are we? You must have drank whiskey before"

She tried to speak but all she could do was moan.

He traced her lips with his finger "You _are_ a gorgeous creature" He slid his finger down her neck and then suddenly and violently ripped open her shirt.

She tried to fight him off and cry out but she couldn't stave off the blackness that was engulfing her.

"Don't fight it, I doubt you want to be awake for what I'm going to do to you"

It felt like she had been trampled by a herd of hippogriffs, every part of her body hurt. Bella slowly sat up and began to look for her clothes, she was in a great amount of pain; there were spots of blood on the sheet. She needed to get to Hogwarts. To this day, she is not sure how she managed to stumble back to school, but she did and thankfully a second year Slytherin was also back early from holiday and found her, face down, on the floor of the common room.

Someone was calling her name "Bellatrix, can you hear me?"

She tried to reply, it was her head of house talking, and she let out a small moan.

He gently rolled her over onto her back and saw the dark circles under her eyes and blood crusted on her lip, she was barely breathing.

He picked her up and literally ran to the hospital wing, shouting for Madame Pomfrey.

"Hurry, I think she has been poisoned! She has all the signs of Draught of the Living Death"

As Madame Pomfey began to examine her she exclaimed, "She has all the signs of being attacked, as well! Look at these bruises"

Professor Atticus, head of Slytherin house, was visibly shaken "I need to fetch Dumbledore at once"

It was several days before Bella was fully awake and able to speak and Dumbledore was anxious to hear what she had to say.

"Do you know who did this to you?"

She nodded "I heard the man who talked to me in the pub call him Mr. Lestrange. He paid the man to chat me up, drug me and bring me to his room"

Professor Atticus gasped, "Surely not Rodolphus Lestrange, would he dare come this close the school?"

Dumbledore nodded grimly "Yes, I am afraid so, he has been accused of such brutal attacks in the past. I will inform the Ministry at once" and he swept out of the room.

"You know the man who attacked me, sir?"

Professor Atticus nodded grimly "He was a student here, he was expelled in his sixth year for beating a girl nearly to death"

"What!" Bella was mortified at the thought.

"He is a very dangerous man who should be in Azkaban, but he has money and power, he is, at the moment, above the law" The professor saw the fear in her eyes.

"So even if he is caught, it won't matter? What if he comes back?" Tears began to trickle down her cheek.

He patted her hand "Hopefully, you will never have to face him again"


	15. Betrayal and Revenge

**Chapter 15**

**Betrayal and Revenge**

Things slowly got back to normal as Bella tried to put the attack behind her and returned to classes. She never told anyone what had happened, not her parents, not even Lord Voldemort, she didn't want him to think she was too weak to take care of herself. She continued her affair with the assistant potion master and was enjoying a bit of happiness when, just after the Easter holiday, it all came crashing down. Someone had betrayed her.

Bella was summoned to Dumbledore's office one evening after dinner and, to her surprise, her father was there also.

"Daddy, has something happened?"

Her father bore down on her so quickly that she fell back into a chair "How could you, Bellatrix?" and then he slapped her across the face.

"Daddy!"

He raised his hand to strike her again, she cowered and raised her hands, but Dumbledore stopped him "NO! I will not have this brutality under my roof"

Her father rounded on the Headmaster "But you have no problem with teenage whores and teachers who exploit them, do you?"

Bella put her head in her hands and began to cry.

"Oh do stop, no one believes your pathetic little act" Her father had never been this cruel to her before.

"Please Daddy, he forced me to have sex with him! He said he would fail me in potions"

He rolled his eyes "Bellatrix, you are a whore and everyone knows it. You are a disgrace to the Black family name" Bella felt like she had been slapped again. "Dumbledore, punish her as you see fit, if she is to be expelled, send her on the train" And he turned on his heel and left the office.

Bella looked at Dumbledore and she thought she saw a flicker of sympathy in his eyes "Are you going to expel me?"

"Tell me the truth Bellatrix, did he force you?"

Bella shook her head and answered quietly, "No sir"

He nodded "That's what I thought, he tried to protect you, said it was his fault, I have to let him go, you know" She nodded again.

"Bellatrix, I am not going to expel you, this time. I suggest, however, that you think very seriously about some of the choices you have been making. Your head of house will give you your detention assignment tomorrow. You may return to your common room"

She went up to her bed, her emotions swung from sadness at her father's behavior to anger at whomever it was who snitched. _They will pay for betraying_ _me _she thought _and pay dearly._

Bella had her suspicions about who had betrayed her, she had been fairly certain it has been Sirius or one of his friends until she happened to overhear a conversation in the library.She had been looking for a book on poisons when she heard voices.

"Oooo I heard Bellatrix has to clean the potions dungeon everyday after school for a month!"

Bella peered through the shelves and could see it was two Ravenclaw girls.

"Oh yeah, she sure does. Brytel says that almost makes up for that slut doing her boyfriend in the Slytherin changing room of the Quidditch stadium."

Bella sat down the floor; it had been one of the girls in her own dorm. Brytel Glower had obviously found out about her encounter with Riven, the Slytherin Keeper, who also happened to be Brytel's boyfriend. She was doubly pissed because _he_ had come on to _her_, so really, in Bella's mind, he was the one Brytel should be mad at.

_Little bitch _she fumed_ got Graham fired just because her boyfriend can't keep his pants on around other women!_

The two Ravenclaws continued talking, "I sure will miss professor Ventnor, he was so cute"

Her friend sighed, "He was hot, I would let him tutor me anytime he wanted!" They were giggling when Bella came around the corner and both stopped immediately upon seeing her.

Bella smiled at the fear in their eyes, "Hello girls, I couldn't help but overhear your conversation"

Both girls began to tremble slightly "We...I mean..."

Bella smiled and spoke in a genial, friendly tone "Don't fret, I'm not angry with you, on the contrary, I am pleased to know, at last, who my betrayer is." Bella beckoned them closer "And just so you know, he _was_ really hot"

One of the girls was bold enough to ask, "Was he a good kisser?"

Bella licked her lips slowly and closed her eyes, remembering how good it was, "He was amazing"

Just then, the bell rang and everyone scurried off to their next class. Bella was formulating her plan for revenge, so preoccupied in fact, that she forgot she was supposed to be transfiguring her crab into a pair of pliers and nearly got detention again. She needed a cruel scheme to teach Brytel and any others that might betray her to think twice before they cross Bellatrix Black.

It was almost 3 a.m. when a girl's shrieking woke them all. It was Brytel Glower shrieking and with good reason, her bed was full of cockroaches. They were in her hair and covering her nightgown, she was frantically trying to get them off crying for someone to help her, but everyone was frozen in horror.

Bella stood in the middle of the room and laughed hysterically "You silly cow, just use your wand. Evanesco!" The bugs vanished.

Brytel looked at her, tears staining her face "Why did you do this to me?"

Bella narrowed her eyes and spat out "Because you have a big mouth and a boyfriend who has an even bigger ego!"

Brytel lunged at her with blind fury, taking Bella by surprise and knocking her down, she was trying to claw at her eyes as she screamed out "You filthy, loathsome slut! I'll kill you!"

But Bella still had her wand "Impedimenta!" Brytel was blasted backwards and Bella sat on her chest and grabbed her hair.

"No bitch, I'll kill _you_ if you ever piss me off again!"

She then proceeded to bash Brytel's head against the floor repeatedly.

"Bella! Stop!" Lizzie was pulling at her "You will get expelled!"

Breathing heavily and still full of adrenalin, Bella finally stopped. "Next time, you're dead" she got off of Brytel and went back to her bed.

There would be no next time though, Brytel transferred out of Hogwarts the very next day and it was no secret that Bella was the reason. From that day on, only fools would dare get on the wrong side of the cruel and vicious Bellatrix Black.


	16. The Wedding

**Chapter 16**

**The Wedding**

Finally, the school year ended and Bella was on the train home for the summer holiday.

"I know I am going to cry at Narcissa's wedding" Lizzie was looking sad.

Bella rolled her eyes "Why, because Lucius will be a married man?"

Lizzie sniffed "Yes and it's just too sad, he is so sexy"

"For gods sake, Lizzie, he's a prat and Narcissa is a bitch, they deserve each other"

Lizzie folded her arms and frowned "He's a sexy prat, though"

Bella was digging around in her bag and pulled out a bottle "A toast to Narcissa and Lucius, may they have a hateful little marriage" She handed the bottle to Lizzie.

Lizzie took a drink of the well aged scotch "where did you get this?"

Bella smiled "Shagged a 7th year, he gave it to me"

Lizzie leaned back and took another drink "Mmmm, I love shagging older boys"

"Boys? I love shagging older _men, _they are the best" Bella held out her hand for the bottle and Lizzie passed it over.

She took a deep drink, then leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

"I bet there will be plenty of lovely men to shag at the wedding, I'll hook you up Lizzie"

Lizzie sat up and asked anxiously "Lucius doesn't have a brother, does he?"

"If he did, I'm sure he would be a prat too" She replied in exasperation.

Bella was so sick of hearing about Lucius. In fact, she was sick of hearing about the whole wedding. Narcissa loved all the attention and their mother was like a tyrant, planning things down to every last flower petal and bubble of Champagne, she wished she could have just stayed at school. At last the train pulled into Kings Cross and Bella was dismayed to see no one was there to meet her. Things had been strained ever since Christmas, when her father saw Lord Voldemort kiss her. She would not let Dumbledore inform them of the attack by Rodolphus Lestrange either; her mother would have just said she deserved it anyway. She stuck out her wand and took the Knight Bus back home.

The day of the wedding arrived at last. 300 guests had come from all over to see Narcissa Black marry Lucius Malfoy in a grand ceremony. Narcissa was an extremely beautiful bride in a strapless silk gown complete with a cathedral length train and Lucius looked handsome, as always, in black dress robes. Bella, as one of the bridesmaids, wore a black satin dress, also strapless, with a white silk sash at the waist. She could not wait until the reception.

Finally, the ceremony was complete and it was time for dinner and dancing. Bella had a bet with Lizzie that Lucius would wickedly smash wedding cake in Narcissa's face.

"He wouldn't do that!" Lizzie had exclaimed when Bella proposed the wager.

Bella scoffed, "Oh I bet he nails her prissy little ass but good!"

Bella was sure she would be collecting five galleons from Lizzie before the night was out. Soon enough, Narcissa and Lucius were standing in front of the five tier, ornately decorated cake, waiting to cut into it. A photographer took their picture and then they held the knife together and sliced into the lowest tier, Narcissa fed Lucius a piece with utmost care, and then, it was his turn to feed her. He had just the slightest hint of a smirk on his lips as he smashed the piece of cake in her face, causing her to swear loudly and then smack his face as hard as she could. Bella was howling with laughter as her mother bawled out Lucius, with much swearing, and her father tried to calm, a now hysterical, Narcissa down, it was better than she had hoped.

Now that that little scene had played out, she was ready to party and enjoy the rest of the evening. She found Lizzie chatting up a group of young men and she joined them.

Lizzie smiled and made introductions "This is my friend Bellatrix, isn't she lovely?"

The gentleman all agreed that she was indeed lovely and they decided to move the party to the pool house.

"Lizzie, you owe me five Galleons, darling" Bella sang out in delight.

"Did you see how hard she hit him? I didn't think Narcissa had that in her!" Lizzie exclaimed.

Bella pursed her lips "Trust me, she has it in her, I been on the receiving end of more than a few of those slaps" she then smiled and mused "Hope they got some pictures of it"

A handsome boy of about eighteen offered Bella a bottle of champagne he had nicked from the party and she took a deep drink. A little while later he asked her if she would like to go for a walk with him and she agreed. They ended up by the small pond that was part of the estate. Bella had the foresight to grab a blanket from the pool house and they were making good use of it when all of a sudden things went very wrong.

"Get the hell off of my daughter, you filthy bastard!" Bella's father yanked the young man to his feet and punched him in the face.

"Daddy, no!" she jumped up with the blanket wrapped around her "Stop!"

He wheeled around and backhanded her across her face, knocking her to the ground.

"Get up and get in the house NOW!"

She scrambled to get to her feet, clutched the blanket around her and ran towards the house. When she got there, her mother was waiting. She looked at her youngest daughter with an expression of pure disgust.

"A common slut. How is it possible that my bloodline has produced such a repugnant spawn? I blame this on your father, the Black line is not as pure as mine was, tainted somewhere along the way I suppose, whores must run on his side of the family"

Bella was beyond stunned by her mother's harsh remarks.

"I am not a whore!" she started to cry, "You are a horrible bitch to say such things to me, I hate you!" She ran to her room and slammed the door.

She couldn't stay at the house a moment longer, but where to go? Lizzie's family was going on an extended tour of Europe for the summer, so she couldn't stay with them, then she thought about Lord Voldemort, surely he had a house somewhere. She wrote to him immediately and he replied to her late the next evening.

_Dearest Bella,_

_I am deeply sorry to hear that you are in such a distressing situation. Meet me at the enclosed location at 3:00 am and I will see to your every need._

_Lord Voldemort_

There was a map and she packed her stuff and set out, it was the dead of night and no one even noticed she had gone until the next afternoon.


	17. Birthday Escape

**Chapter 17**

**Birthday Escape**

Bella looked at her watch, it was 3:15 am and there was no sign of Lord Voldemort. She checked the map he had given her and she was sure she was in the right place. It was an old stone church, long abandoned by its parishioners. The wooden roof had rotted away and she looked up into the clear sky, it was a full moon, a howling dog in the distance made her shiver. She had crouched down in a corner, hoping that if anyone or anything unpleasant came around, it wouldn't see her there, alone and vulnerable.

"Bellatrix, I know you are here" It was Lord Voldemort, at last.

Bella jumped up from her hiding place "I'm right here. You're late you know"

"I am an important man with other matters that require my attention, a teenage girl who has run away from her parents is not usually my top priority" He admonished.

Bella hung her head and spoke quietly "I'm sorry, it's just very scary here, all alone"

He reached out and tilted her chin upwards "You have nothing to be frightened of, you are a powerful witch and soon, with my guidance, it is you that will be feared"

She parted her lips to reply but before she could he was kissing her.

He pulled away and smiled "Come along now, time to get you settled."

They walked outside; he bewitched her trunk and tied it to his broom. She mounted the handle behind him, putting her arms around his waist and squeezing him tight with her thighs. Soon they were speeding through the summer night, it was an exhilarating feeling.

Voldemort had turned his head and saw the ecstatic look on her face.

"Are you having a good time?"

"This is brilliant!" she hugged him tighter and he flew even higher.

"We are almost there"

About ten minutes later they began their descent and landed outside a small cottage. Once inside, he lit the hearth and Bella was bathed in the glow of the fire. Her hair was wild and wind swept, her cheeks flushed with the thrill of adventure, he couldn't wait a moment longer. He pulled her into his arms and began to kiss her with ravenous desire, she responded with an equal amount of lust. In a remarkably short amount of time, their robes were on the floor and they were on the sofa enjoying each other in every way possible. Later, as they lay there, taking a brief rest, Bella smiled broadly,

"This is the best birthday I think I have ever had"

The mantle clock chimed 8:00 am, Voldemort looked at his young lover and smiled "Happy 16th birthday, love"

Voldemort looked at Bella, she was still asleep. It seemed a shame to do what he knew he had to. He lifted his wand.

"Obliviate"

As much as he hated to, he erased her memory of last night and replaced it with one that was of her just falling asleep. He waved his wand again and she was now fully dressed. He, on the other hand, savored his memory of making love to her; he had been delightfully surprised by her knowledge of so many different ways to pleasure him. However, he was a bit irritated with himself for being so weak, _why does she have to be so available _he thought to himself _and why does she have to be so pretty. _But it was more than that and he knew it. He had been with many beautiful women but none had held his interest like this girl, no one could match her power and her desire to harness it, no one could match her passion. And she had been passionate last night, making love to him with wild abandon, he closed his eyes as he relished in the memory. Even though she had been a willing lover, he felt it was unwise to pursue that kind of relationship with her while she was still at school, there was her proximity to Dumbledore to keep in mind.


	18. The Summer of Wine and Torture

**Chapter 18**

**The Summer of Wine & Torture**

Bella awoke late in the morning of her 16th birthday and thought she had fallen asleep on the sofa soon after they arrived. She stretched and yawned, then made her way to the kitchen where she found Lord Voldemort.

"Did you sleep well, Bellatrix?"

"Yes, quite well, actually" She reached for the tea tin and a cup. "So is this your house?"

He gave a wry smile "For now it is, I do have a large manor house that has been in the family for years, however, I prefer this one for right now"

She took a sip of tea and looked around the tidy little room that had an unusually large fireplace in it. "Seems like a lovely place, thank you for letting me come"

"It will not be a wasted opportunity, Bella, I think we can use this time to start on your training"

Bella's face lit up "Are you serious? I can't believe it!"

She jumped up, threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Thank you! You are too good to me" she kissed his cheek and sat back down.

He couldn't help but smile at her "Why don't you change and we can practice dueling outside. Your trunk is upstairs in the guest room."

"Sounds great, I'll be back down in a few"

Bella met Voldemort in the backyard; she was wearing a long, black cotton shift dress and was barefoot. She had her wand in hand.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Protego!" Bella sent the spell back to Voldemort, causing him to duck out of the way.

"Well, I guess you have been reading those books I sent you" He said as he straightened his robes.

She was beaming "Yes I have, are you pleased?"

"Extremely, let's try again" He raised his wand again "Rictus Sempra!"

"Protego!" Bella sent it back at him and he volleyed it back towards her so quickly she was unable to dodge it in time; with a scream she flew off her feet and landed hard, on the ground. She was very still.

Voldemort ran over to her and just as he was bending down to see if she was all right, she struck "Impedimenta!" He stumbled back a few steps, a look of surprise on his face. Bella sat up, grinning.

"Very cute, Bellatrix" He smirked "obviously you have a good handle on dueling, let us try something a bit more advanced"

He raised his wand once more "Crucio!"

Her scream was so high pitched it could have shattered glass, the pain was excruciatingly intense. He lifted the curse after only about fifteen seconds, but to Bella it felt like hours. She was lying face down in the grass, gasping and sobbing.

Voldemort knelt down and helped her sit up; she jerked away from him "Why did you do that?" Her face was tear streaked and fearful.

"You have much to learn and the first thing is that I don't have a very good sense of humor"

Bella nodded and was trying to stop crying.

"The second thing is that the Cruciatus curse is a very useful, though illegal, weapon. You had to experience it first hand to truly understand its power"

He helped her to her feet "I want you to try it, on me"

She was apprehensive of cursing him, especially now.

"You need to mean it Bella, really want that person to suffer your wrath," He whispered in her ear "I know you are angry at me, that's the best way to learn. Do it"

She _was_ angry, he could have at least warned her, jerk.

"CRUCIO!"

She screamed the spell at the top of her lungs.

Voldemort doubled over "Holy shit!"

Bella lifted her wand; she was trembling "Oh my god, are you alright?"

He straightened up and smiled "That was incredible! I didn't think I would feel anything on your first try"

She gave a weak smile in return and he took her in his arms and kissed her cheek. "I didn't mean frighten you, well, at least not as bad as that. I think that will be all for today"

When they returned to the house, Voldemort left, saying he had some business to take care of.

"I am expecting a man named Augustus Rookwood, if he arrives before I return tell him I want him to wait, I am anxious to hear his report"

Bella nodded "I understand"

When Voldemort finally departed, Bella settled herself on the sofa with a book and eventually fell asleep in the heat of the summer afternoon.

A very ugly man who was trying to pull her to her feet awakened her most unpleasantly.

"What the bloody hell, get off of me!" She punched the man in the stomach, causing him to let go.

She grabbed her wand and pointed at him "Who are you?"

The man straightened up and gave her a sneering glance before he began to walk away.

"If you are Rookwood, Lord Voldemort said you are to stay until he comes back"

He stopped dead in his tracks "You dare speak his name?" He turned slowly around "Who are you that dares speak the name of the Dark Master?"

"Dark Master? Who are you talking about?" Bella began to think the man was mentally challenged.

"Look, little girl, I am a busy man who does not have time for games. I will return when the Master is here" He turned to leave.

"He said to wait" Bella had an authoritative tone to her voice.

The man pulled his wand "I don't take orders from you, girly"

"Girly?" Bella hated it when men talked down to her; he would have to be taught a little lesson about respect.

"CRUCIO!"

He had not expected her to strike and the spell knocked him to the ground where he lay writhing in agony. Bella was impressed; she seemed to be a natural at this spell.

"You had better stop now, I need him mentally intact for a bit longer" Lord Voldemort had returned.

Bella lifted the curse, she was afraid that Voldemort was angry with her.

"I'm sorry, he was just so rude to me and he was going to leave, even though you wanted him to wait"

Rookwood was now on his feet "That little bitch hit me while my back was turned!"

Voldemort shook his head in disgust "No she didn't, I saw what happened, you underestimated the power of a woman and paid the price" He smiled adoringly at Bella "She's quite talented, isn't she?" Rookwood just nodded, he wanted to smack her smug little face.

"Bella, there is some food and wine in the kitchen, could you take care of it while I talk to Augustus?"

"'I would be glad to" She stuck out her tongue at Rookwood and sauntered off.

In the kitchen were an assortment of cheeses, meats, bread and some wine, perfect for an evening picnic. Bella found a basket and packed up a lovely little feast.

"A picnic?" Voldemort looked at her like she was crazy, he hadn't been on a picnic since he was a young boy.

"It will be lovely, trust me" Bella put on her most winning smile and he finally acquiesced.

Bella found a spot on the bank of the river that ran through the property. She spread out the blanket under a large tree and began to lie out the meal as Voldemort opened the wine. While they ate, conversation eventually turned back to the events of earlier in the day.

"Bella, I have never seen anyone master the Cruciatus curse that quickly" He poured more wine into her glass "It felt good, didn't it, watching Rookwood pay for his disrespectful attitude"

Bella looked into his eyes "It was amazing"

He knew she had liked it; the expression on her face had been rapturous as she watched Rookwood, crumpled on the floor, screaming for mercy.

"_You_ are amazing"

He wanted her now more than ever but he resisted the urge to kiss her, if he so much as brushed against her he knew he would not be able to stop himself from taking her. He lay back on the blanket and closed his eyes. He hoped none of his followers ever found out he had gone on a picnic, though he had to admit, it was very relaxing. He glanced over at Bella, she was looking at the river with her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs, the wind was catching the hem of her dress, revealing glimpses of her tan thighs, he closed his eyes once more.

As the stars began to show themselves one by one and they finished off a second bottle of wine, Voldemort found it more and more difficult to push the idea of making love to Bella out of his mind.

"I almost forgot" He pulled a small box from his pocket "I got you a birthday present"

Bella tore the paper off and inside the box was an exquisite silver hair comb inlaid with mother of pearl, it looked very old and expensive.

"Oh, it's so beautiful!" she pushed her hair back on one side and put the comb in "Does it look good? Oh I wish I had a mirror"

He smiled at her delight "It looks perfect, as I knew it would"

She leaned over and kissed his cheek "Thank you so much for making my birthday so wonderful"

Then she kissed his lips softly and lightly. He responded by gently pushing her back onto the blanket and kissing her deeply. She spread her legs as he ran his hand up her thigh; she wanted this just as badly as he did. He removed her black lace panties and she gave a low moan as his tongue touched her for what she thought was the first time. She pulled her dress off. He looked at her naked body in the moonlight, her dark hair fanning out on the blanket and he was overwhelmed by desire. His ferocity would have frightened most women, but Bella was not like most women and it only fueled her own passion.

Hours later, as they lay exhausted, Bella nearly asleep in his arms, Voldemort realized that she had a power over him that he hoped _she _never realized. If she did, he could very well end up her servant, instead of her master.


	19. Back To School

**Chapter 19**

**Back to School**

Bella stayed at Voldemort's for the rest of the summer. Her family's owl had eventually tracked her down about three days after she left home, but she sent back a letter saying she was happy where she was and would make sure to catch the train back to school on September 1st. And she was happy, Voldemort was working with her, teaching her spells and hexes she never imagined she could do. She was also happily sharing his bed every night. He had decided it was futile to resist her and he was afraid he would hurt her if he erased her memory to often, he did; however, make her swear to tell no one, lest Dumbledore find out. A whole host of Death Eaters were in and out of the house and many of them stayed to practice dueling with her. One of them, Antonin Dolohov, was nearly ten years older than her but he seemed to like her and they always had fun when he visited. Bella liked him also and almost hated to practice with him, he was too handsome to curse. Overall, it had been an exciting summer and she didn't want to go back to school.

"I could just stay with you, couldn't I?" Bella pleaded.

Voldemort eyed her over the Daily Prophet he was reading, "No, you could not"

"But why? I can learn so much more from you" She made the sad little face that she always used when she wanted her way.

Voldemort was already immune to it "No"

She walked over and sat on his lap, crumpling his paper. She put her arms around his neck and cooed into his ear "Won't you miss me?"

He breathed in the smell of her hair as he put his arm around her tiny waist, he was going to miss her terribly "Bella, you have to finish school. That's my final word"

He looked at her pouting lips and her sad eyes, he put his hand to her cheek "I _will_ miss you, more than you could imagine" He kissed her pouty lips and she returned it with fervor.

He smiled at her and scooted her off his lap "I have associates coming round, wouldn't do to have my sixteen year old girlfriend sitting on my lap when they arrive"

Bella giggled, he had called her his girlfriend. She went outside and was reading when Antonin came over to her.

"Hi"

She looked up and smiled "Hi Antonin"

He had a big grin on his face "Guess what? The Dark Lord wants me to take you to Diagon Alley on Friday, to get your books and stuff"

Her eyes lit up "Really! That would be cool, thanks!"

"Ok then, see you Friday" He waved and went back in the house.

_Holy shit _she thought to herself _wait till Lizzie sees me with this guy; she will die at his utter gorgeousness!_

On Friday morning she packed up her trunk and said her goodbyes to Voldemort, the train left on Saturday, so her and Antonin would stay in London overnight.

She stood on tiptoe and put her arms around his neck, he pulled her close.

"I wish I could stay" she was near tears.

"Oh Bella, I wish you could too, but I will see you at Christmas, I promise" He wiped a tear from her cheek and kissed her deeply. They pulled apart as they heard a crack and then the door creaking open.

Antonin and Bella took the Knight Bus to London and they had a splendid time on the ride. It was a good thing they had the top deck to themselves as Antonin had bewitched their chairs to have castors on them so they were constantly rolling back and forth and crashing into each other, once in London they had an equally good time shopping, Antonin was more like a teenager than a man of twenty-six, he definitely knew how to have a good time.

"Have you ever been to Knockturn Alley, Bell?" He asked with a mischievous sparkle in his eye.

"No, my dad said I wasn't allowed"

He laughed enthusiastically, "Well, good thing your dad's not here then, isn't it, let's go!"

It was dark, creepy and everything else Bella had heard, she was fascinated. He took her to Borgin & Burkes and they looked at all manner of cursed goods. Necklaces that would strangle the wearer, bones from deformed mummies and more poisons that she knew existed. She quickly realized why her father had forbidden her from coming anywhere near Knockturn Alley; she was getting all kinds of wicked ideas. Back out on the street, a hag tried to steal Antonin's watch and, when Bella caught her, the vulgar woman tried to hex her, Bella dodged it and pulled her wand "Crucio", she only had to whisper it now she was so good at it, the hag fell to the ground screeching. Bella laughed and lifted the spell "Bellatrix Black, remember the name and fear it" Antonin cheered and they dashed off back to Diagon Alley.

"That was truly wicked Bell, I am impressed" He was holding her hand and she went pink at his compliment.

He smiled; she was blushing so he kissed her cheek "Better give you a reason for that blush"

They ate a hearty dinner at the Leaky Cauldron and then took rooms for the night. Bella was in Antonin's room, on his bed, looking at one of his books.

"So you are like a wizard historian?"

He tilted his head thoughtfully, "Hmm, yes I suppose that's what I am"

He could see right up her dress from where he sat, she had on hot pink panties and all he could think was that wasn't the only thing that was hot and pink under there. He came over and sat next to her, he leaned in close, looking at the book. She smiled at him; his lips were only inches from hers. Up close he was really, really handsome, with short black hair that was just a bit curly and dark mysterious eyes. He had a mustache and goatee, she had never kissed a guy with a mustache before, and she wondered what it was like. In turn, he could smell her scent; she smelled like vanilla and lavender, she was much too young to be this desirable. Bella decided to make the first move; she reached up and stroked his goatee.

"Oh, it feels softer than I thought it would" she ran her finger across his mustache.

He closed his eyes; it was taking all of his self-control not to kiss her.

It didn't matter, Bella put her soft lips to his, he moaned "Oh god Bellatrix, please don't do this"

She put her arms around his neck "No one will know if we never tell"

Bella pushed the book aside and straddled his lap; she could feel that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. She kissed him again, this time his lips parted and he kissed her back, deeply and passionately. Antonin pulled her dress up and over her head; she had on a pink satin bra that matched her panties. He kissed her cleavage and Bella lay back on the bed, she wanted to feel his mustache kissing her everywhere and he was happy to oblige her.

Antonin picked up his watch that was lying on the bedside table; it was 8:30 am. He lay back on his pillow and glanced over at the naked teenager in his bed, what the hell had he been thinking. It was not the fact that she was only sixteen that was the problem, she had come on to him after all and it was obvious that many men before him had corrupted her youth. No, it was the fact that he was fairly certain that she was the lover of the Dark Lord that worried him; he had a feeling that Lord Voldemort was not the kind who liked to share his women with other men. Bella rolled over, the sheet was only covering her from the waist down, she was very tan yet had no tan lines. Antonin groaned at the thought of her sunbathing completely nude, that mental image was not helping his resolve to keep his hands off of her from now on. Bella opened her eyes and saw him looking at her naked torso; she smiled.

"Want some more?" she stretched her arms above her head, arching her back as she did.

He sighed, what was done was done, might as well enjoy it while he could, if Lord Voldemort found out, he would soon be too dead to enjoy anything.

They had a hurried breakfast at the Cauldron and then headed for Kings Cross station. Once on Platform 9 ¾, Bella looked for Lizzie, she wanted to make sure she met Antonin, but Lizzie found them first.

"Hey! Was that you that just grabbed my bum?" Antonin questioned the grinning girl who was now hugging Bellatrix.

"Yes, it was, do you have a problem with it?" replied Lizzie, it was obvious that she fancied him; she was looking at him like she could devour him with one bite.

Antonin gave a sly smile "The only problem is that I want you to do it again"

Bella laughed and grabbed his hand "I wish we could take you to school with us, then we could grab more than just your bum"

"Well, maybe I can pay a little visit to Hogsmead this fall"

Bella's face lit up "That would be brilliant! I'll write and let you know when we will be there"

Antonin kissed Bella lightly on the lips and even kissed Lizzie on the cheek "Better get on board or you won't get a good seat"

"Bye Antonin!" they waved and trundled off to the train, headed back to Hogwarts for their sixth year of school.


	20. A Sirius Warning

**Chapter 20**

**A Sirius Warning**

Once Lizzie and Bella found a compartment to themselves, Bella shut the door and put an Imperturbable charm on it, she was dying to tell Lizzie all about her summer. Lizzie settled in and pulled a bottle of whiskey out of her bag, she smiled.

"I stole it from the house, they will just think it was an elf, if they even notice a bottle missing, we have so much booze as it is"

Bella sat back and took a deep drink and began to tell the tale of how she ended up spending her summer with Lord Voldemort.

"I just left Lizzie, there was no way I was going to spend another day in that house with my horrid mother and Lord Voldemort was more than happy to let me stay with him."

Lizzie was all ears, "Well, did he kiss you?"

Bella laughed, "Oh he kissed me alright, kissed me _everywhere"_

Lizzie squealed incredulously "No! He did not! Did you shag?"

Bella leaned back and wrapped her arms around herself "Love, we shagged outside, under the stars, in the light of the full moon, it was unbelievable"

Lizzie sat back and closed her eyes and moaned, "That is so romantic, that is just how I would have wanted it"

Bella giggled, "He even called me his girlfriend"

Lizzie sat up straight "Wow Bella, he must be serious about you then. So what was the deal with tall, dark and handsome out on the platform?"

Bella licked her lips, "The deal is that he is a blast. Not only is he so sexy it defies description, he is a fully trained Death Eater. That's what Lord Voldemort's inner circle call themselves, Death Eaters, kinda cool isn't it?"

"Do you think he will really come to Hogsmeade?" Lizzie asked anxiously.

Bella nodded with a wicked smile.

"What about Lord Voldemort, do you think he will try to see you too?"

Bella wasn't sure about that, he had said he would see her at Christmas, but that was so far away.

"I don't know, Lizzie, I wish he would. I hated to leave him and come back to school, but he said he wanted me to finish, I am going to miss him." She felt tears welling up in her eyes; she was going to be all alone in her bed tonight.

As they filed into the Great Hall for the sorting and feast, Sirius cornered her and pulled her aside.

"Did you really run away and stay with that Lord Whatever this summer?" He had a note of disbelief in his voice.

Bella yanked her arm out of his grip and hissed "Shut up! Do you think I want the whole school to know? How did you find out?"

"I overheard my mother talking to yours. Bella, that guy is really dangerous, even more dangerous than you" He was actually trying to warn her.

"Look Sirius, I can take care of myself, now, if you don't mind, I want to go get a seat" And she waltzed off into the hall.


	21. Howlers For Breakfast

**Chapter 21**

**Howlers for Breakfast**

Bella was now working towards taking her N.E.W.T.S. next year and she wanted to do well, she anxious to show Lord Voldemort she was worthy of his attention. Lizzie was looking over Bella's schedule at breakfast the first morning of classes.

"Bella love, you will be working your well manicured fingers to the bone this year"

Bella looked at Lizzie's schedule and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I see that you're not straining yourself this year"

Lizzie smiled and shook her head "Nope, I did horrid on my O.W.L.S. and I think N.E.W.T.S are useless, I'm going to marry a fine, pureblood wizard and let him lavish me with money and attention. You could do the same you know, you're gorgeous Bella, you would have no trouble snagging a rich wizard"

Bella snorted into her eggs "Please, I already have money, I have no need of a husband to tie me down and order me about"

Lizzie rolled her eyes "Bell, I can't imagine any man trying to order you about, you're too mean. Forget what I said, no man in his right mind would want to marry you"

Bella looked at her watch "I had better get going, I have advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts in ten minutes" She gathered her book bag and headed out of the hall. She thought about what Lizzie had said, that no man in his right mind would marry her, she resolved on the spot to never get married, even if a man did propose it, right mind or not.

Bella arrived for class just in time and settled herself in the back of the room. The professor was a stern, gray haired man of about fifty who took his dark arts seriously.

"Students, please turn to page 25 in your books and ready your wands"

Bella flipped open her book and snorted, the lesson was on how throw off the Imperius curse. The professor looked to the back of the room.

"Miss Black, since you seem to think this lesson is below you, why don't you come up here and help me demonstrate it to the class"

A low murmur swept the classroom as Bella sauntered up to and stood, smirking, in front of her obviously annoyed professor.

He raised his wand "Imperio"

"Miss Black, please sing 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' for us"

Bella turned and faced her classmates and opened her mouth, everyone waited in anticipation, fully expecting her to break out into song, and then she spun around suddenly

"Imperio!"

The spell struck the professor and his eyes glazed over, Bella smiled wickedly.

"Tell the class how brilliant I am professor, tell them that Bellatrix is brilliant"

She could tell he was fighting it; sweat was beading up on his brow.

"Bellatrix is brill..." He shook his head and finally overcame the spell.

"The Headmaster's office, NOW!"

He grabbed her by the sleeve and dragged her from the classroom, she cringed, she was going to get a howler tomorrow and it was only the second day of term. Once in Dumbledore's office he gave her a stern ultimatum, follow the rules or be expelled, no more second chances.

"Bellatrix, I have heard many rumors where you are concerned and today's demonstration proves many of those rumors may be actual truth. Bellatrix, do you know who Lord Voldemort is?"

Bella tried not to look too worried "I have heard the name"

Dumbledore looked deep in her eyes, she was sure he knew she was lying.

"Bellatrix, I advise you to think long and hard if you are considering joining his ranks, he is a cruel man, evil incarnate some may say, even a girl as cunning and bright as you, are no match for his power. His hunger for supremacy will devour you"

Bella looked defiantly into his eyes "I will never be controlled by any man"

Dumbledore smiled just a bit "No, I doubt you ever will. You may return to class"

The next morning as if on cue, an owl soared in just as Bella sat down to breakfast, it did not contain cheerful morning greetings.

_BELLATRIX! THIS IS A NEW RECORD, FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR AND I GET AN OWL FROM DUMBLEDORE! I SWEAR TO GOD, ONE MORE AND I WILL SEND YOU TO BEAUXBATONS AND MAKE YOU LIVE WITH THE FRENCH!_

Bella whimpered slightly, she hated France.

"Oh Trixie, better brush up on your French" Sirius snickered as he walked to the Gryffindor table. She pulled out her wand and was just about to utter a curse when Dumbledore caught her eye, she put her wand away and sullenly finished her breakfast. The howler was still smoking slightly on the table as she headed off to Potions.


	22. Trick or Treat

**Chapter 22**

**Trick or Treat**

It was the last weekend in October when the first Hogsmeade visit came to pass. Lizzie had begged Bella to write Antonin and see if he would meet them in the village and Bella agreed with little persuasion. Antonin had written back that he would meet them at noon in the Hogshead tavern.

The wind whipped at their faces and there was just a hint of the fast approaching winter in the blustery air as they walked towards the village. The two girls rambled through a few shops, killing time until they were to meet Antonin. Bella fingered the luxurious fabric on a slinky red dress at Madame Briarton's shop; it would be perfect for Christmas. As she thought about Christmas, she also thought about Lord Voldemort, she missed him greatly. Bella was drawn out of her reverie by Lizzie pulling on her arm.

"Come on, it's time to go"

When they arrived at the tavern Antonin smiled and greeted them both with hugs and kisses.

"It is so wonderful to see you both again!"

Both girls beamed up at his handsome face and he smiled broadly right back

"I have a surprise for you but you have to follow me"

He beckoned them towards the stairs and Bella laughed,

"Taking us upstairs is no surprise, love"

Antonin just put his fingers to his lips "Shhh" and continued up the steps.

They followed them down the hallway until they stopped in front of room number 9.

"Go ahead Bella, open the door"

Bella turned the knob and swung the door open, she strode in thinking the room empty and shrieked when a man grabbed her hand. Lizzie shrunk back behind Antonin as the tall, black haired man took Bella into his arms, even though she had seen him before, something about seeing him towering over Bella, dominating her, frightened Lizzie to her very soul. Bella, however, was far from frightened, she was overjoyed to be back in the arms of Lord Voldemort and he was equally pleased to see her.

Antonin took Lizzie by the hand,

"It's alright, let's leave them alone, would you like to see my room?"

Lizzie nodded, but she could not take her eyes off of Lord Voldemort who was now kissing her friend with such intensity that she was sure he had to be hurting her. Antonin led her out the door and back to his room. He also had been disturbed by the scene he had just witnessed ,but not because he feared for Bella's safety, but because he wanted to be the one kissing her like that. He looked at Lizzie; she was trembling slightly and looked very worried.

"Lizzie, he would not hurt her, trust me, Bella knows what he is like"

Lizzie nodded and Antonin took her face in his hands, she was not the girl he desired but she was pretty enough and available, he kissed her and pulled her close.

Lord Voldemort pulled Bella away from his lips by her hair; she gazed into his dark eyes and whimpered.

"Don't stop, please, don't stop, I want you so badly"

He looked down at her upturned face, her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing heavily, he had not been with her for nearly two months and now here she was, begging him to take her. His desire rose in him like a ravenous beast, he wanted to devour her, to possess her, to satiate his unrelenting appetite for sexual pleasure with her. His grip on her hair tightened and she gasped slightly, he reached behind her and tugged on the zipper of her dress and ran his hand along her bare back. He whispered in her ear,

"Take it off, Bellatrix"

She obeyed and the dress fell to the floor revealing the cream-colored bra and panties she had on underneath. Lord Voldemort let go of Bella's hair, laid her down on the bed and fell upon her with a ferocious passion that few women would have been able to endure much less enjoy. But enjoy it she did, Lord Voldemort was able to dominate her like no other man could and she loved every minute of it. And the minutes were precious few that they had together; she had to return to the castle by 6:00.

"I wish I could stay here with you, I wish I could leave with you"

Voldemort kissed the top of her head; she was lying on his bare chest with his arms around her.

"Bella, you know that is not possible"

"But why not?"

He sighed, he hated to deny her what she wanted; he hated even more so to deny himself.

"Bella, you must finish school, you are too young to keep company with some of the wizards in my allegiance"

Bella sat up, her expression indignant

"I am just as powerful as those men and you know it!"

"Bella, you have no idea the kind of men that work for me, now stop this childish whining, it does not become you"

Bella was furious, she hated being talked down to and she yelled

"You didn't seem to think I was such a child when you were fucking me like a prize whore!"

Voldemort sat up and pushed her back down on the bed and held her there.

"Bellatrix, I know you are young and strong willed, so this time I will not punish you for that outburst, but next time I swear I will"

His voice had an edge to it that made her shiver, his eyes bore into her and she knew he meant it.

"I'm sorry, I just...." her voice broke and she sobbed, "I just want to prove to you that I am worthy, I want to show you that I can be-"

He cut her off "Bella, I know you are worthy, I know your power better than you do and that is why you need to stay in school"

He lay back down and closed his eyes.

"He asked me about you, Dumbledore did" Bella whispered.

Voldemort's eyes flew open and he sat upright swiftly.

"What! Why? What did he say?"

"He asked me if I knew you"

"And you said no, of course"

Bella rolled her eyes "Of course I said no, do you think I'm some kind of dolt?"

Voldemort lay back once more.

"Be very careful, my beauty, there are those who would not bat an eye at killing you if they thought it would prevent one more person from joining me"

Now Bella was the one to sit back up.

"Do you think I may be in danger?"

Voldemort pulled her back down to his chest and began to caress her hair.

"Yes, I do. Promise me that you will be on your guard, I would be.." He paused as he carefully chose his words _"distraught_ if anything bad were to happen to you"

Bella kissed his chest "I promise to be careful"

Too soon there was a knock on the door and Lizzie's timid voice.

"Bell, we need to get back to school"

"Ok Lizzie, be right there" Bella called out.

Bella turned to Voldemort as she pulled on her dress,

"I have to go now, will I see you before Christmas?"

Voldemort came up behind her and slowly zipped her up

"I doubt I will be able to get away before then, but I promise to see you over the holiday"

She turned, stood on tiptoe and put her arms around his neck; he leaned down and kissed her deeply.

"Go now, stay out of trouble and be careful"

Bella smiled as she pulled away from him "I will try"

They got back to Hogwarts just in time and went straight into the great hall for the Halloween feast. Once they were settled and they began to work on their great plates of food Lizzie timidly asked Bella about Lord Voldemort.

"Bell, do you really like that, he seems kinda scary, the way he was kissing you and stuff?"

Bella was a bit surprised to see Lizzie looking so concerned.

"Lizzie, I like the way he is and he has never hurt me, please stop fretting about it. Besides, I'm more interested in you and Antonin, do tell all the details darling"

Lizzie sighed but could not hold back a wide smile.

"He is just too handsome, Bell, and he was so sweet. I think I could marry a man like that" She raised an eyebrow "Hmm, wonder if he's rich?"

Bella laughed out loud, spitting a bit of treacle tart on Lizzie's robes, which made her laugh even harder. Their joy did not go unnoticed.

"What's so funny Trix, did you kill a litter of puppies today?"

Sirius was behind her and as she turned she had the strongest desire to punch him right in the stomach, but the words of Lord Voldemort echoed in her head, _stay out of trouble,_ so she refrained.

"Bugger off asshole, you are spoiling my appetite with your Gryffindor stench"

Sirius's expression went from smug to furious in no time flat. He grabbed her hair and pulled her off the bench with a shriek. But that was all the further it got, Professor Atticus pulled him off of her, Bella got to her feet and tears began to roll down her face.

"He attacked me for no reason!"

Sirius yelled back, "You are a foul little liar!" He still had a few of her hairs clenched in his fist.

The professor was not amused and was annoyed at having his dinner interrupted.

"Mr. Black, you were at the Slytherin table and I'm sure you had no good reason to be there. From now on I suggest that you stay with your own kind. Report to my office Monday at lunch to get your detention assignment."

He directed Sirius to return to his table and Bella sat back down.

"Are you ok Bell?"

Bella smiled slyly, "I'm fine, I knew that learning how to cry on demand would come in handy one day, now kindly pass me that bowl of chocolate frogs, I need a little dessert after that excellent main course"


	23. Party Crashers

_Just wanted to give a word of thanks to all the people who have reviewed my story and are enjoying it. And for those who are wondering, you will just have to wait to see how Bella ends up with Rodolphus, but I promise it will be worth it!_

**Chapter 23**

**Party Crashers**

As the Christmas holiday rolled around Bella was looking forward to a break from her studies. Bella was working harder this year than ever before, she was determined to achieve top marks in her N.E.W.T.S. next year and impress Lord Voldemort with her skills.

The train ride back to London was uneventful until it ended and Bella saw Narcissa was waiting for her on the platform.

"What are you doing here?" Bella looked around for her parents.

"Mother and father want you to stay with Lucius and I for the holiday"

Bella looked quite surprised, but was not opposed to the idea; she would have a lot more freedom at Narcissa's.

"So where is that pompous prat of a husband of yours?"

Narcissa's lips thinned "Bella, you will treat Lucius with respect or I will make you go to mother and father's house, is that clear?"

Bella gave a sigh of defeat "Sorry, I will be nice, I promise"

Narcissa rolled her eyes in disbelief, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Bella. Come on, let's go."

They took the Floo network to Narcissa and Lucius's grand estate. The Malfoy's gave the newlyweds the Wiltshire mansion as a wedding gift; it was a manor house that had been in the family for nearly 200 years. As Bella stepped out of the enormous hearth she was amazed by the opulence of the room that surrounded her. Antique furnishings, gorgeous oriental carpets and heavy velvet and brocade drapes gave an impression of great wealth and position.

"Holy shit Narci, I can't believe you live here, aren't you afraid to sit on this fancy stuff?"

"Of course not" Then she added somewhat sheepishly "Though, to be honest, we really don't use this room that much"

Two elves came running up to them and began to take Bella's luggage.

"Come misses, we will show you to your room" and they began to haul her stuff towards the main staircase. Coming down the steps was her brother in law, Lucius Malfoy; he gave her a simpering smile and greeted her in his usual arrogant manner.

"Well, there's the little trouble maker, shagging any teachers this year, Trixie?"

Bella's lip curled into a snarl "Call me Trixie one more time Malfoy and I swear I will slap that smile right off your face"

"Temper, temper, Bella, better get that in check before the party. Can't have you being nasty to any of our important guests, can we?"

Bella continued up the steps and stuck her tongue out at Lucius as she passed him and then followed the elves to her room.

This years Christmas party was going to include both the Blacks and the Malfoys and it would be held at Narcissa and Lucius's home. Bella had gone back to Madame Briarton's shop and bought the red dress she had seen at Halloween, a jaw dropping number with a slit so far up her thigh that was sure to draw the eye of every man in the room. Narcissa came in to see if Bella needed any help getting dressed and smiled at her choice of apparel, she herself was wearing a stunning, sexy black gown that was totally backless.

"Oh mother is going to love that" Narcissa chuckled sarcastically.

Bella looked up and smiled as she finished fastening the strap on her silver stilettos.

"I was thinking of her when I bought it"

"Well, if you are ready, let's go down and enjoy a cocktail before the masses start to arrive" And Narcissa headed for the stairs.

Bella, Narcissa and Lucius shared a drink and toasted to the success of their first formal party as man and wife. Soon after, the doorbell rang and the party was under way. There were easily 300 guests enjoying the grand buffet and the copious amounts of flowing liquor. Among those guests were many fellow students from Hogwarts, nearly all of them Slytherins with the exception of two. Sirius was present and he had brought Remus Lupin along, Bella could not resist chatting with them.

"So, don't you two Gryffindors feel just a wee bit out of place among all of us Slytherins?"

Sirius had his usual superior attitude "Actually, we do, it's hard being the at the top of the intelligence scale"

Bella snorted, "That cocky attitude will be your downfall cousin dear" and with that she walked away.

The party was just hitting its stride around midnight and Bella was anxiously awaiting Lord Voldemort's arrival when all hell broke loose. It started with a woman's scream; then it was total pandemonium. Curses were flying in all directions; witches and wizards began to fall on all sides of Bella. They were under attack by aurors from the Ministry of Magic who were tipped off of Lord Voldemort's whereabouts. Bella ran for the door and made it out into the garden, but her stilettos sunk into the grass and made it impossible for her to run. She was trying to take them off when an auror towered over her.

"Over here! I've got her!"

The man yanked her to her feet as two more wizards came their way. Bella kicked out and caught the man in the groin, causing him to double over, swearing loudly. He then retaliated by backhanding her with considerable force, and then he let go and she fell to the ground. She scrambled away from him, she heard someone cry out, "Stupefy!" the other two men fell also. A boy held out his hand to her.

"Come on, we need to hide"

She was surprised to see it was Remus Lupin, with his wand drawn, but she was too frightened to ask questions and she took his hand. Together they headed for the tree line of the forest bordering the property, once they found a secluded spot they stopped and caught their breath.

"Are you alright?"

Bella nodded "I think so" Her dress was torn and snagged from the forest bramble, she was shaking like mad.

"Bella, why were those men after you?"

Bella knew exactly why, but there was no way she was going to tell Remus.

"I don't know, maybe they are after my whole family" Tears began to stream down her face, what if everyone was dead, it would be all her fault.

Remus reached out and held her hand "From what I could tell, they were only using stunners, I'm sure no one suffered any serious injury, good thing I brought my wand though"

After about an hour they decided to head back towards the house and see what was going on. As they walked towards the house Sirius came out to meet them.

"Remus, thank god!" Then his smile turned to a frown "What the hell are you doing with her?"

Bella didn't give him a chance to answer, "He saved my life, Sirius. What the hell happened, is everyone alright?"

Sirius shook his head "They were looking for that Lord Voldemort guy, Bella, and they were looking for you too. You had better get inside and let everyone know you are ok"

Bella nodded dismally and went inside. It looked like a hurricane had swept through the house, furniture was overturned, paintings ripped from the walls and shattered crystal made the floor sparkle like freshly fallen snow. Narcissa was gently weeping in a chair while Lucius talked with her father. They all looked up as she walked into the room. Her father walked up to her and pulled her into his arms.

"I thought I had lost you"

Bella pulled out of his embrace "I'm fine, Remus Lupin fought off three aurors and then we hid in the woods"

"Then I owe a debt of gratitude to this Lupin" The familiar voice made them all turn; Lord Voldemort was standing in the doorway.

Bella's father did not greet him warmly.

"This is your fault, you brought these men down upon my daughter!"

"Daddy!" Bella admonished.

But Voldemort held up his hand to silence her "No Bella, he is right, I knew you were in danger and I failed to protect you. I have been selfish and foolish; you are not prepared to fend off my enemies"

Bella began to protest but he would not let her speak.

"I think it would be prudent to distance myself from you until you have finished school, you are too valuable to me to be put in harms way"

Bella was stunned "No! Please don't do this!"

Voldemort leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

"This is the only way, my beauty, I'm sorry"

"NO! Please don't leave me, I could have fought them, I didn't have my wand!" Bella would not let go of his hand.

Voldemort spoke so quietly that only Bella could hear what he was saying,

"You have no idea how it pains me to realize that I must deprive myself of your company, I desire you like no other woman I have ever known, that is why I must protect you"

And with that he turned and walked out of the house. Bella was devastated; she sunk to her knees and sobbed. Narcissa came over and knelt down beside her.

"I'm sorry Bell, I truly am"

Bella's sobbing subsided after a few minutes and she slowly, like a zombie, walked out of the room and headed for the steps, Remus and Sirius were out in the foyer. She looked at Remus,

"I forgot to thank you for helping me, so thanks"

Remus nodded soberly, "Don't mention it"

Bella slowly walked up the stairs and Sirius pleaded after her,

"You have a chance to start over Bell, take it"

She turned to face him, her eyes red and swollen but still cold and penetrating "Sirius, I have no desire to change, I am a Death Eater and always will be"


	24. Sevy

**Chapter 24**

**Sevy**

Bella spent the rest of the holiday desperately depressed. She refused to go to any New Years parties and moped around Narcissa's house in a horrible pink sweat suit she had borrowed from her. It was not a pretty sight. Bella had written to Lord Voldemort but all of her letters had come back unopened. He had not even sent her a Christmas present, Bella was sure he would change his mind but apparently that was not the case. She could not wait to just get back to school but even that was going to be miserable. Her father had informed Dumbledore of the aurors attack and wanted to make sure his daughter was well protected. Translation; no more trips into Hogsmead this term.

Even Lucius felt a bit sorry for her.

"Cheer up Bell, you're still young, there are plenty of other men"

Bella sniffled, "I don't want any other man"

Lucius rolled his eyes "Oh please, I know the power thing is a real turn on but honestly, he is old and really not attractive. You could have any man you want, you're not too bad looking"

Bella frowned "Not too bad looking? I'm bloody hot as hell and you know it, pretty boy"

Lucius laughed out loud "There's the old Bellatrix, I knew she was in there somewhere"

Bella couldn't help but smile a little; calling Lucius names always did bring her great joy.

Finally the holiday was over and Bella was back at school. The zeal that she had to succeed in class had left her, why bother to work hard now that Voldemort had abandoned her? She began to skip classes and seldom studied or completed any homework; she was failing nearly every class. She had been sneaking into Hogsmeade and shagging men she seduced at the Three Broomsticks, often coming back to the common room drunk. On one of these nights she stumbled into the room at nearly three a.m. only to be startled by someone who was still up, it was a third year boy. Bella and the boy stared at each other for a moment and then he spoke.

"Are you alright, Bellatrix?"

Bella smiled and giggled, "Yeah, I'm fine. How do you know my name?"

"Everyone knows your name" he replied incredulously, _holy crap_ he thought _she is knackered._

Bella swayed a bit "Really? Hmmmm, I'm famous. Cool!"

"I think you had better sit down" he led her to a sofa.

He sat down next to her and she tipped sideways until her head was on the boy's shoulder. Her eyes were closed and he looked at her face, she was very pretty, he had never been this close to a girl before.

Bella giggled again, "What's your name?"

"My name is Severus"

Bella sat up and looked very serious "That's a grown up name for such a young boy, I think I will call you Sevy instead"

"Um, I'd rather you not" As if he didn't get teased enough about his name.

"Oh Sevy, don't be such a wart" and with that Bella slumped back in her seat and passed out.

Severus found a crocheted throw and covered her with it; he couldn't resist kissing her on the cheek, when else would he have the chance to kiss such a pretty girl?

When Bella awoke the next morning, she had a wicked headache as she made her way down to breakfast, but not wicked enough to stop her from stirring up a bit of trouble. She smiled deviously and then stopped by Severus's seat and whispered in his ear.

"I'm still going to call you Sevy"

She winked and continued on to her seat with her friends. Severus turned a very deep shade of crimson as all the surrounding students looked and wondered what Bella would possibly be whispering to _him_.

Bella continued to blow off her lessons and several of her professors had reported her behavior to the headmaster. He finally summoned her to his office yet again.

"Bellatrix, what has happened to make you give upon your education, you are a talented witch with a promising future, why have you lost interest?"

Bella just shrugged her shoulders.

"Does this have anything to do with the aurors who raided your sister's home?"

Bella shook her head. _Nosy old git_ she fumed _bugger off, it's none of your business_!

"Bellatrix, whatever it is, don't throw away your future over it"

Bella nodded "Yes sir, I won't sir"

He dismissed her and she walked out to the flying pitch muttering under her breath many very rude words about Dumbledore and his competency as a Headmaster. One of her friends was practicing some stunt flying and she decided to watch, maybe someone would have a spectacular fall; that would cheer her right up. That looked like a strong possibility too, as some other students were also having some broom practice and to say they needed it was a grave understatement; among them was Severus Snape. He was not a natural on a broom and was having considerable difficulty. Bella was watching him trying to mount a broom that was not inclined for a rider, it kept bucking and jerking and would not let him on it. Bella walked over and laughed at him.

"You know Sevy, I think you had better stick to Floo powder"

He tossed the broom on the ground and kicked it.

"No really, you think?" his voice was dripping with sarcasm and irritation.

"Yeah, I do, smart ass" was her snappy reply as she walked away giggling.

Bella did bring her marks up somewhat by years end, though not to the level they had been at before Christmas. Now she was preparing for summer and making plans for where to stay, anywhere but her parents house would do. Her aunt said she was more than welcome at 12 Grimmauld and since it was in the heart of London, Bella agreed immediately. Sirius was beside himself when he heard the news.

"Why the hell do you have to stay at our house? Can't you just stay at Malfoy's?"

Bella did a little victory dance and stuck her tongue out at him as she sang.

"Ha Ha! I get to be a pain in your ass all summer!"

Sirius folded his arms across his chest.

"I won't be alone you know, James and Remus are going to visit"

Bella shrieked with glee and threw her hands up in the air,

"Oh yes! I get to torment you all! I just can't wait!"

Sirius groaned, it was going to be a rotten summer.


	25. A True Death Eater

**Chapter 25**

**A True Death Eater**

Bella could hardly contain her glee on the train ride back to London, she was going to spend the whole summer in the city and she knew it was going to be a blast. How could it not be? She got to ruin Sirius's summer, probably would get to hex all of his friends too and the best part, no ever watchful Dumbledore waiting to punish her. Her aunt thought she was a girl who could do no wrong and never told her 'no', she could have a limitless amount of fun, what more could a wicked girl want? She made plans to get together with Lizzie as soon as possible.

"Ok Lizzie, this Saturday we should hit that new club, Inferno, I heard they have the best DJ's."

Lizzie frowned "Oh I was saving that for your birthday!"

Bella waved her hand dismissively "Oh by the end of June that place will be a bore, something newer and hotter will take its place and we will go there"

Bella loved the thought of celebrating her birthday in London, it was so sophisticated and chic, and as this would be her seventeenth, it made it all the more special. The only thing that gave her a pang of sadness was the fact that this birthday, unlike last years, would not be celebrated with Lord Voldemort. He had held true to his word and severed his ties with her; it was as if he had forgotten her completely these last six months. Bella wished she could forget so easily. As the train pulled into Kings Cross she saw her aunt and Kreacher waiting for them on the platform and with much grumbling about slow muggles and the poor dress of today's teen wizard they finally got into the ancient Rolls Royce and made their way to 12 Grimmauld Place.

12 Grimmauld Place was a shrine to Slytherin pride, nearly every fixture had some serpent theme to it and the house was like a museum of rare and dangerous dark objects, home sweet home to the Blacks. Well, all the Blacks except Sirius, Bella gave him a smirk and a bit of a chortle, she could hardly wait to whip out her wand and he knew it.

"Bella, you are not of age until June 25th, so just give it a rest" Sirius grumbled at her as he started up the stairs, he tried to spend as much time shut away from his family as possible.

To his dismay, Bella followed him "So when are your friends coming to visit?"

"I don't know if they will now that _you_ are here" he snapped back at her, he had an aching desire to shove her snotty little ass right back down the steps.

"Oh Potter will be here, you couldn't keep him away and you know it"

Sirius clenched his fists, it galled him to know she was right; James loved a challenge, especially when it was gorgeous and wouldn't give him the time of day. And Remus would be here too, he would never leave Sirius to suffer alone for the whole summer, he was too loyal of a friend. The only one who would stay away was Peter, he was terrified of Bella (though not without good reason!) he claimed to be going to Belgium for the summer and regretfully would not be able to see any of them until the fall.A likely story, especially since the guys let him spout off for days about how well he was learning to speak Belgian before they informed him that they spoke French there.

When Sirius reached his bedroom he tried to shut the door in Bella's face but she pushed past him and flopped down on his bed.

"Hey!" Sirius cried out in disgust "Get off my bed, you disease-ridden cow! I have to sleep there you know!"

Bella was enjoying tormenting him, it was so relaxing she decided to stretch out and get comfortable.

"You know this is a great bed for shagging, would you mind if do Potter on it, I bet he likes it with a bit of spring"

That did it; Sirius jumped on top of her and grabbed her around the throat, his face, purple with rage, was just inches from hers.

"I swear to god, I will kill you, you disgusting, vile little hag!"

Bella grabbed the back of his hair and pulled his head forward, their lips were almost touching as she taunted him.

"It's not my fault your friends are hot for me, I bet Lupin would be keen to get in on the action too" She could not resist baiting him, even as his hands tightened around her neck.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE?"

The two teenagers broke apart and turned to face Sirius's father, who was obviously not sure of what he had walked in on, all he knew was his son was straddling his female cousin on his bed, not an acceptable position no matter what the reason. He marched over and grabbed Sirius by the collar of his robes and yanked him to his feet. Bella jumped up, rubbing her neck and backed away from her furious uncle.

"By god, you have been back less than a hour and you are already bringing shame to this family" He was shaking his son as he spoke.

Sirius tried to defend himself "She barged in here and started it! She is nothing but a filthy whore and a pureblooded bitch!"

His father pulled him closer and growled "You were a pureblooded waste of my seed, if you even are of my seed, no son of mine should have ever ended up in Gryffindor" he shoved him backwards and Sirius fell on the bed "The next time Bellatrix tries to kill you, I hope she succeeds" and he stormed out of the room. Bella was still against the wall, breathing hard and fast, she looked at her cousin and he glared back.

"Get out, you stupid bitch, just get out!"

Bella had had enough for the moment, her uncle, at six foot three inches, was an intimidating man in a normal circumstance, enraged, he was pure terror. Bella decided not to push her luck and scurried from the room, she heard the door slam forcefully behind her. Bella went back downstairs and as she walked past the drawing room someone called out her name, she turned back and Regulus Black was lounging on a sofa, smiling like the cat that ate the canary. The younger Black was the spitting image of his older brother when it came to looks, but that is where the resemblance ended.

"Regie, I didn't know you were back!" Bella exclaimed with a smile as she settled herself next to her cousin.

"Just got back in time to hear dear old dad telling Sirius, yet again, what a disappointment he is to the family line, ahhh..music to my ears, really feels good to be home."

Bella giggled "And it was all thanks to me, love, and plenty more where that came from. So how's Durmstrang been treating you?"

Regulus grimaced "Like total shit, I'm not used to living like an elf, cold all the damn time and god forbid you light a fire, I'm not going back."

"Are you coming to Hogwarts then?"

He clapped his hand down on her thigh and gave a devilish grin "Yep, I'm all yours Slytherin girl, teach me all you know"

She pushed his hand away "The first thing you need to know is I'm a 7th year and you are a 3rd year, thus you are little more than filth on my boots in the grand scheme of things"

Regulus frowned "What if I have special talents that I may be willing to share?"

Bella was intrigued, "Such as?"

"Such as I can perform the incantation to turn water into rum perfectly and I have knowledge of a former, older mate who now resides in Hogsmeade that grows some very _interesting_ plants"

Bella nodded approvingly "There is no denying that _you _are a true Black, we need to discuss your talents further"

Bella grinned to herself, how could two brothers be so totally different?

Before she knew it, it was the week of her 17th birthday and it was time to celebrate in grand style. (As if Bella would celebrate in any other way) The week ended with a huge party her parents threw at their home and even though relations had been strained, it was going surprisingly well. Bella wore a shantung silk dress in pale lavender with delicate rhinestone studded stilettos, her hair was loosely curled about her shoulders and a champagne glass was seemingly permanently attached to her right hand. All of her friends were there and Lizzie had even brought a date, Bella could not believe her eyes.

"Antonin Dolohov! You sly dog you."

He flashed her his most winning smile and kissed her cheek.

"Hope you don't mind me crashing your party?"

Bella grabbed his ass as he leaned in and she giggled,

"Gorgeous men are always welcome at my parties"

She hugged Lizzie and whispered in her ear "I knew you'd snag him! I'm so happy for you!"

Dancing and hearty alcohol consumption was the order of the evening and the party was still going strong at one a.m. Bella had stepped outside to cool off and something, a flash of light, caught her attention far down on the lawn, she went to investigate. It disappeared briefly and lit up again, she felt compelled to follow it. She ended up outside a tumbled down stone church at the edge of the estate that was nearly buried in a tangle of overgrown weeds and wildflowers. The building had been built around a sacred stone alter that was used by an ancient and bizarre druid sect; they were the ancestors of her mother. All that remained of the medieval church was a couple of walls and the large alter, the wood ceiling had long rotted away giving a view of the night sky. She walked over to the alter and ran her hand across the cool granite, if this slab could speak it would tell tales of virgins united in marriage, against their will, with powerful wizards to make the bloodline strong and pure, then ritually and publicly deflowered to bring strength to the priest and priestess. It made Bella very thankful to be a witch in the modern age.

"Many important and sacred rites happened on that stone"

Suddenly the church was bathed in the light of a hundred candles floating above her head, Bella's heart skipped a beat, at first in surprise, and then in realization of who was speaking, she turned to face him.

Lord Voldemort stood in the shadows, barely illuminated by the moonlight, pale as a wisp of fog, his pallor in sharp contrast to his dark robes. He walked up to her slowly, his gaze unwavering, his eyes locked onto hers.

"I didn't think you would come," she gasped in awe.

He stopped just a few inches away from her, pulled a small, red velvet box from his robes and opened it. Nestled on a black velvet cushion was a silver bangle. It was about a quarter of an inch wide and ornately engraved with a Celtic knot design encircling it. Voldemort took it from the box and held it out to Bella; she took and saw that there was an inscription engraved on the inside, the word '_Forever'_ with a coiled snake and a script 'V'. Bella looked up at him wordlessly, he took it from her and slipped it on her right wrist, it shrank to fit her, just small enough that she could not take it off.

"I would never forget your birthday, my beauty, especially this one"

He then took her left arm in his hand and turned it so her palm was facing upwards. His deep, quiet voice whispered in her ear,

"Bellatrix, are you ready to commit yourself to me, to be totally possessed by me in every way?"

Bella could not form the words to speak out loud; she could only nod slowly as she looked deeply into his dark, mesmerizing eyes.

He wrapped his other hand around the inside of her arm, just above her wrist and squeezed. A searing, burning sensation made her take a sharp breath but she refused to flinch, her gaze remained steady as he burned his mark deep into her flesh. When he lifted his hand, she saw a black skull with a snake coming out of its mouth; the Dark Mark, she was, at last, a true Death Eater, there was no turning back.

"I am your Master now Bellatrix, speak it to me, tell me I am your master" His lips brushed against her ear as he urged her to say the words he wanted to hear since the first day he had laid eyes on her.

She could hardly find her voice but she replied quietly yet unwaveringly, "You are my Master, Lord Voldemort"

The lust that that phrase, spoken by her, had inspired in him was overwhelming. He wanted take her on that alter, just as so many other powerful men had done to beautiful, young girls in the past. He took her in his arms and pulled her against him, the kiss was unlike any she had experienced before, no other man had ever desired her this intensely, this urgently. The words of Dumbledore echoed in her head _His hunger for supremacy will devour you. _Bella did not care, she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss ardently; she wanted nothing more than to please him, to show him that he did possess her completely, her hunger was just as great as his. He slipped off her dress as they kissed and she lay back on the alter, he did not have to tell her what he wanted, she knew his every desire like no other woman he had known. Like an ethereal spotlight was shining on her, Bella's naked body glowed in the moonlight, her dark hair spilled over the edge of the ancient slab as Lord Voldemort towered over her.

"Take me Master, I am yours" She raised her arms above her head so he could see his brand upon her skin. He pulled off his robes and laid on top of her, she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him inside of her. A moan escaped his lips as he grabbed her wrists and held them above her head. He looked at her beautiful face in the throes of passion, she was like a drug to him; he could not satisfy his craving for her; he always wanted more. And Bella was more than willing to give him all that he could take.

They could see the first golden rays of morning breaking above their heads as they lay together, Bella never wanted this moment to fade from her memory, she never wanted the night to end. But it did have to end.

"Bella, I have to go soon" he was stroking her back gently as she lay on top of him. He had conjured a feather mattress and a blanket to make the alter a bit more comfortable, they were really quite cozy.

Bella had closed her eyes, she knew he had to leave but she made no effort to move. "What if I refuse to let you?" she murmured sleepily.

He pinched her bottom just hard enough to get her to open her eyes.

"You are the only Death Eater in my ranks that would even think of refusing me"

Bella lifted her head, looked him in the face and raised a questioning eyebrow, she purred in a knowing tone,

"I bet I'm the only Death Eater that makes you moan like you did last night"

He pursed his lips; she did have a point there. Voldemort pulled her towards him and kissed her deeply before he answered.

"You _are_ my favorite Death Eater, I won't deny that. When is your Apparation test?"

"The second week of August" she replied.

"I assume you will pass on your first attempt"

"I plan on it" her voice full of confidence.

"Good, I plan on being able to see you often this up coming school year"

Bella laid her head back on his chest and he continued to speak as he twirled a lock of her hair around his thin, white finger.

"You will never betray me, will you, Bellatrix?"

She reached down to his free hand and intertwined her fingers in his "I will always be your most loyal servant and you will be the only man that I will ever call my master"


	26. The Serpent and the Wolf

**Chapter 26**

**The Serpent and the Wolf**

Bella was still floating on air days after her birthday, she could not stop fingering the bracelet Lord Voldemort had given her and she kept replaying that night over and over in her head. She was a true member of his faction now and it was an empowering, triumphant feeling. Her joy was especially annoying to Sirius as it just doubled her efforts to torment him. On this particular day Sirius was expecting James and Remus, they would be staying with them for a week and Bella was beyond excited about having some fresh blood in the game. At 2:00 the bell rang and Bella and Sirius both raced to answer it, pushing and shoving each other all the way down the long staircase.

Bella yelled out, "I'll get it!"

Sirius reached out and grasped a handful of her hair "Oh no you won't! _I'll _get it!"

Bella screeched and reach back and grabbed his fist "Ouch! Get off you little bugger!"

They came skidding to a halt in front of the door just as Kreacher swung it open. James and Remus stood on the stoop and just gaped, open mouthed, at the greeting they were receiving. Sirius gave Bella's hair an extra yank before he let go and she elbowed him in the ribs in retaliation, then they both smiled at the newly arrived houseguests.

"Come on in boys, we are so glad you are here" Bella could hardly contain her laughter.

Sirius shoved her out of the way "Back off slutzilla, they have no interest in you"

"Don't be so sure of that cousin dear!" Bella sang out as she walked down the hallway.

The next two days passed without incident, Sirius's father had laid down the law; no jinxes or hexes in the house, so she tried to restrain herself from any mischief. That proved to be extremely difficult and on day three Sirius and her had another scrap. This time it was in the library and it was over a book that they both wanted to read.

"This is my house Bella, thus it's my book, so back off!" Sirius shoved her so hard she fell backwards and landed on the floor, a perfect vantage point for her to kick him in the shin as payback. She had stood back up and the two were grappling over the item in question when Remus walked in on them. They stopped as he approached them, but neither let loose of their grip on the book.

"What the hell are you staring at, Lupin?"

Bella thought he had the oddest expression on his face.

Lupin shook his head, "Oh nothing, I was just thinking what an attractive couple you two make"

"Ugh! Revolting!" Bella sprang away from Sirius, the book forgotten.

Sirius looked absolutely horrified. "Lupin, what the hell, that is sick mate, she's my cousin and a psycho to boot!"

Remus doubled over he was laughing so hard "That's one way to stop you two from killing each other, good lord, the looks on your faces was priceless!"

Bella smiled sycophantically as she walked up to Remus; he stopped laughing abruptly. She continued to smile and then she cupped his face in her hands and planted a big kiss right on his mouth. James, who had just walked in the room, cried out,

"Hey!"

Bella pulled away from a paralyzed Lupin and smiled at her stunned audience.

"Mmmm" she licked her lips "not bad.... for a Gryffindor" and with that she sauntered out of the silent room. As she slowly made her way up the stairs, she could hear James whining, "Why you Remus? That should have been me, you lucky bastard". Regulus ran into her in the hallway.

"What are you grinning about?"

She proceeded to tell him about the library incident and when she told him that she had kissed Lupin, Regie howled with laughter

"You did not! What did the good little Gryffindor do?"

"I did and he didn't do anything, stood there like a statue, but Potter went totally insane, he was so jealous, god it was so fun!"

Regie gave her a bow "You are my idol, Bell, few others would sacrifice themselves and kiss a Gryffindor just to piss someone off "

Bella cocked her head and mused, "You know, it really wasn't so bad, I've kissed way worse"

Later that evening, after dinner, in the drawing room where they had all congregated, James kept bothering Bella. He sat down next to her on the sofa.

"Look Trixie, I know you will kiss just about any guy, so if you just get on with it, I'll stop bothering you"

Sirius rolled his eyes, "James, you have no idea where her mouth has been, well actually, you have an idea and that alone should be enough to put you off, she could have any number of cooties, it's a death wish mate."

Bella looked into James's eyes "Oh James, I _will_ kiss just about any guy" she leaned closer to him, parted her lips and put her hand to his cheek.

"Any guy except you" and she lightly slapped his cheek and sat back laughing.

James whimpered a bit and then sat back pouting "You are a cruel woman"

Regie shook his head in mock pity, "What, you just now realized that? Where have you been Potter?" Then he smiled and winked "Of course, when it comes to Lupin though, she is all sugar and spice"

Remus, who had remained quiet thus far, blushed a deep shade of pink and then stood up.

"I need to get something from my room" and hurried off towards the stairs.

Bella jumped up "I need a snack, back in a sec" But instead of going to the kitchen she followed Remus upstairs. She found him in his room looking out the open window.

"Remus?"

He turned and looked at her nervously; he was still slightly pink "um.. yeah?

She smiled softly as she walked towards him; a rumble of thunder sounded in the distance and a gust of humid air rushed in and blew her long, dark hair back from her face. No makeup adorned her perfect features and she had on a short, tan linen dress with spaghetti straps and was barefoot. For once, she actually looked like a girl of just seventeen. Remus had never seen her so casual, so natural and he was unnerved to realize that he found her incredibly attractive.

"Remus, I'm sorry, I just got carried away tormenting the other two"

Lupin had saved her life at Christmas and she had not forgotten that, she felt kind of bad about embarrassing him.

"Look, Remus, I wasn't trying to be mean to you by kissing you, I just did it to piss off Sirius and James. You have always been cool to me and well.."

Bellatrix was terrible at apologies, having had very little practice with them. Remus smiled shyly at her and then looked down at his feet.

"Oh I didn't have a problem with the kiss" he paused for a moment before he quickly added, as if to say it before he lost his nerve, "I just wish I hadn't frozen up, that's all"

Bella was surprised, that was the last thing she expected him to say.

"Really?" she smiled deviously and she stepped closer to him. "What do you wish you had done?"

He took a deep breath and looked up.

"I wish I had kissed you back"

Bella was silent for a moment; she could hear the storm getting closer, the rain was beginning to fall and blow in through the open window. Was Remus Lupin saying that he wanted to kiss her? She couldn't stop herself from asking.

"What if you had a second chance, would you return my kiss?"

He looked at her full lips and he remembered their taste, their softness, then he boldly answered, "Yes"

Bella put her hands on his chest; she could feel his heart pounding.

"Are you sure?" she whispered as she looked into his pale blue eyes.

He answered by putting his hands around her waist and she, in turn, slipped her arms around his neck, then he gently put his lips to hers. It was an incredibly sensuous, tender kiss. He pulled her tight against his body, she parted her lips and he slipped his tongue into her mouth, he went slowly, wanting them to savor every second of their encounter. When he finally pulled back, Bella slowly opened her eyes and looked into his. She didn't have to say it; he knew she didn't want him to stop. He gently stroked her hair as he put his lips to hers once more; she slid her hands under his t-shirt and felt the warmth of his skin as she ran them up his back. Remus knew what he was doing was wrong on so many levels but, at the moment, he did not care. All he wanted right now was to lay Bella on his bed and feel her body next to his. He slipped the straps of her dress off her shoulders and let the loose fitting garment fall to the floor, she was naked except for her tiny cotton bikini panties. He pulled his white t-shirt off over his head; the blowing rain was a cool relief from the hot summer evening as it dampened their bare skin. Bella lay back on his bed; she beckoned him to her. He lay next to her and admired her body, his fingers lightly caressing her breasts as he looked at her luscious perfection. A loud clap of thunder made her jump and let out a small shriek and Remus smiled.

"Is the fearless Bellatrix Black afraid of a little thunder?"

She returned his smile and rolled on her side facing him, she ran her hand slowly down his chest, across his stomach finally stopping at the waistband of his jeans.

"I'm not afraid, are you?"

"Undo that button and find out" was his reply as he began to kiss his way down from her earlobe.

Bella hesitated "We shouldn't be doing this, should we?"

"Do you want me to stop Bella?" He asked as his lips closed eagerly around her pert nipple.

She moaned softly "No" and unfastened the button.

As the storm reached a fever pitch outside, the unlikely couple enjoyed each other slowly and sensuously, forgetting about everything and everyone that was outside of that room for well over an hour.

The storm finally ran its course and Bella was pulling her dress back on, it was a wonder no one had come looking for them.

"You better go back down stairs, Remus, or Sirius will think I'm up here torturing you or something"

Remus fastened the button on his jeans and laughed,

"If that's how you torture people then I'm all for it"

Bella returned his laughter and tossed his t-shirt at him.

"You better hurry up before we get caught, if Sirius finds out about this, he will kill us both"

He put on his shirt and pulled Bella into his arms for one last kiss.

"Damn, this is going to be hard to keep from James, a tiny part of me wants to gloat and tell him you are even better than he imagines but I know I can't"

Bella giggled, "Oh I would love for James to find out, but, alas, he would just be mad at you and I don't want you to lose your best friends, even if they are arrogant little toerags"

"Stop being sweet, I'm not used to it and it's scaring me" he teased "See you downstairs" and he turned and walked out the door.

Bella smiled to herself as she made her way back to her own room, she was a bit annoyed that she had enjoyed making love to Remus Lupin. And that is what he had done, made love to her, it had not just been the desperate shag of a fourteen-year-old boy, it had been sensual and highly erotic. She sat down on her bed, it made her a bit wistful to know that she would most likely never be with him again; there was something about him that she found intriguing. There had been a look in his eye, when their passion was at a peak that was animalistic, like he was on the brink of losing control, she could see him fighting the urge to savage her in a wild frenzy. It was a sharp contrast to the quiet, unassuming boy she had always known. There was something mysterious about Remus that drew her to him, that made her want to pursue the relationship further but she knew she had to put him out of her mind, Lord Voldemort would be furious with her for sleeping with the enemy, even if he was just a boy.

She grabbed a book from her room and went back downstairs.

"Where have you been Bell? Did you fall asleep or something, your dress looks like crap" Regie frowned at her untidy appearance.

Bella looked at her wrinkled dress and then at the boys and replied haughtily, "I was reading and dozed off, and I don't need to look good for this crowd now do I?"

She flopped down in a chair and began to read, eventually looking over at Remus and he flashed her a quick smile before he went back to his magazine. Bella turned back to her book but didn't read it; her mind was too busy to concentrate on the 'Theory of Apparation' with all the thoughts of what had happened this summer. Her test was two weeks away, so she had plenty of time to study, this summer had been so fun and exciting she just wanted to re-live it in her mind one more time.


	27. Brothers in Arms

**Chapter 27**

**Brothers in Arms**

Summer was nearly over for the occupants of 12 Grimmauld Place, which meant Bellatrix, Sirius and now, Regulus, were soon to be on the train back to Hogwarts for another year of school. For Bella, this would be her final year and for that she was grateful. She was more than ready to serve Lord Voldemort full time and keen to be away from the ever-vigilant eye of Albus Dumbledore. She had passed her apparation test on the first try and now a whole new world of possibilities had opened up to her. On days of Hogsmeade visits she was going to be able to meet Voldemort and his other Death Eaters. She expected to be given some tasks to do to help forward his cause now that she wore the Dark Mark.

It was September 1st and the platform was bustling with students, parents and tons of luggage, a light drizzle was falling and Bella was trying to keep an eye out for Lizzie. As she scanned the crowd she saw Potter, Pettigrew and Lupin pushing through the crowd towards them, Sirius waved and they soon joined them.

"Lets hurry up or we won't get a good seat" James was urging them towards the train. "I'm starving and want to be near the front so we get the best picks of the food trolley"

Sirius grabbed his trunk and began to follow him, as did a very wary Peter, he wanted to put as much distance as possible between himself and Bella. But Remus was in no hurry to join his mates.

"Hey Bella, did you pass your Apparation test?"

She smiled proudly "Oh yes, on the first try. Stupid that I still have to take the train back to school, but that's Dumbledore's ridiculous rule, so here I am"

Sirius had turned back and snarled impatiently "Remus, why are you wasting time chatting with that cow, lets go!"

"She's hardly a cow Sirius, but I'm coming" he replied with a hint of irritation in his voice. He turned back to Bella "I'd better go, see you around school"

"See you later Remus" Bella gave him a quick smile and watched as he walked towards her obnoxious cousin.

"Why were you talking to Lupin?" Lizzie had just appeared at her side.

"Bella gave her secret smile "I'll tell you on the train"

Once settled on the train, Regulus was introduced to some Slytherin third years in another compartment and thus was out of their hair. Finally, when the privacy of the compartment was secured, Bella told Lizzie about her encounter with Remus.

"Bella! What were you thinking? What if Lord Voldemort finds out?" Lizzie shuddered at the thought of Bella playing both sides of the fence with a man that was renowned for his viciousness.

"He won't find out, plus it was just once" And it had been just once, though if the opportunity arose to do it again, she wasn't sure if she could say no. And so what, how would Lord Voldemort find out anyway?

Once the term was in full swing, the first Hogsmeade trip was announced. Bella wrote to Voldemort and he sent back instructions of where to Apparate. It was a sunny but crisp Saturday and Bella was walking to the edge of the village, she was to find a secluded spot and Apparate to the cottage she had stayed at the summer before last. She arrived outside of the small house with a pop and knocked on the door. A tall man with curly, dark brown hair pulled back in a ponytail answered the door.

"You must be Bellatrix Black, I have heard a lot about you"

The wizard extended his hand to her and when she took it, a chill went up her spine.

"Where is Lord Voldemort?" she looked around, something about the way this man looked at her made her uneasy.

He had flinched a bit when she spoke their master's name "The Dark Lord is in the parlor waiting for you"

Bella walked in the room and found Voldemort sitting in a red velvet armchair before a blazing fire. He beckoned her closer and took her hand.

"My beauty, I am glad to see you"

"Master, I have missed you" she draped herself on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He kissed her lightly "We will have time for this later, there are some people I want you to meet"

She reluctantly got up from his lap and followed him to the dining room. Seated around the highly polished mahogany table was a group of men, some of them she knew already, a couple she did not. Voldemort began to introduce her.

"Bellatrix Black is now ready to serve me and my cause, she is more than worthy of the title Death Eater, I'm sure that no one here will underestimate her abilities"

Bella gave them a look that showed she was confidant and not intimidated by the older men in front of her.

"You already know Rookwood, Dolohov and of course Malfoy"

Bella gave Antonin a little smile, ignored Rookwood completely and resisted the urge to stick out her tongue at Lucius.

Voldemort motioned towards a swarthy looking man of about thirty with thick black hair and a patch over his left eye "This is Ewan McNair, a master of torture and expert in some very nasty weaponry"

He stood, bowed slightly and spoke with a heavy Scottish brogue "A pleasure to meet a girl that is as lovely as she is wicked"

Bella nodded, he seemed somewhat sleazy to her.

Voldemort gestured towards the curly haired man who had greeted her at the door.

"This is Lestrange, a skilled wizard with the Unforgivables"

Bella was frozen in shock at hearing his name, Voldemort continued.

"This is Rabastan, his brother, Rodolphus, is away on another task at the moment. He is also a master of many devious acts"

Rabastan gave her a smarmy smile "My brother will be disappointed that he was unable to attend when I tell him how attractive and young our newest member is"

Bella shivered involuntarily, she was a fool to not have realized that someone that vicious and cruel would not have been a Death Eater. _A master of many devious acts_ was the perfect description of Rodolphus Lestrange in her mind.

Voldemort was talking and she hadn't heard a word he said.

"Bella? Are you listening to me?"

She shook her head and brought herself back to reality "I'm sorry master"

Voldemort frowned "I said that you are going to be recruiting young people to join our cause"

Bella smiled apologetically "Of course master, I look forward to it"

"The rest of you know your assignments, this meeting is adjourned"

Antonin came over to her "Hey Bell, can you give this letter to Lizzie for me?"

She looked at it suspiciously "This isn't some kind of break-up letter is it?"

Bella was surprised to see that Antonin was blushing a little bit as he answered her "Not even close, I just want to see her the next time you guys get to come to the village"

"I'll make sure to give it to her as soon as I get back" She giggled at the romantic notions of a Death Eater.

An oily voice whispered in her ear as she felt someone press up against her back "You are a delicious creature Miss Black, I think I would like to get to know you better"

She was appalled to hear the request of Rabastan Lestrange and even more disgusted at the smell of his rancid breath.

She turned and even though she was sure he was as brutal and horrible as his brother, she replied without so much as a hint of fear in her voice.

"Mr. Lestrange, I am sure you are at _least_ ten years older than I and I have no interest in getting to know _you _any better"

Rabastan's face darkened as he growled, "You little pure blooded bitch, do you think you're too good for me?"

Bella's eyes narrowed and she replied conceitedly "I _know_ I'm too good for you" and with that she turned her back on him and walked from the room.

She returned to the parlor and waited for Lord Voldemort, her mind was still racing from her encounter with her rapist's brother. Had she just been a nameless, faceless victim or would Rodolphus remember her or worse, did he know her name? And after meeting Rabastan, she was pretty sure that brutality and disrespect towards women was a family trait. She wrapped her fingers around her wand, she would be ready this time, she would show the Lestranges that she was no longer a naïve child but a fully trained witch that refused to be the helpless prey of any man.

"Bella what are you hiding from me?" Voldemort had walked in and startled her.

She looked up at him and made a futile attempt at a lie "I have nothing to hide from you master"

"Bellatrix, you have hidden much from me"

"No master, I have not" she insisted weakly.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet "Do not lie to me, I always know when you are lying!"

His voice had a dangerous edge to it and his grip was so tight her hand was beginning to tingle from the blood being cut off "Please master..." she pleaded.

"You have met the Lestranges before"

Bella could barely force the words from her mouth, she had never spoken his name out loud "Only Rodolphus"

Voldemort loosened his grip and she sank back down in the chair, her face buried in her hands.

"When did you meet him?" Voldemort asked her quietly.

"It was two years ago, at the Hogshead. My father had seen you kiss me at the Christmas party and we had a fight the next day so I left and went back to school early. I stopped at the pub for a drink and he paid a man to drug me and bring me to his room" She was trying to hold back the sob that was fighting to escape her lips.

Voldemort knelt down and took her hands in his, she didn't have to continue, he knew the Lestrange's and the kind of activities they engaged in.

"I had no idea I had come so close to losing you, you are lucky to have survived an encounter with Rodolphus, few do. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to think I was weak and stupid" Tears began to run down her cheeks.

"Bella, I have never thought you were weak or stupid, Rodolphus was stupid to have chosen you as one of his victims. He will pay for his mistake in judgment, trust me, _he will pay_"

Bella tried to smile through her tears "I'm sorry I didn't tell you"

Voldemort kissed her lips so gently it took her by surprise; he usually kissed her deeply with a heated passion fueled by pure lust, this was a kiss fueled by affection or possibly even love.

"My beauty, there is no reason to keep secrets from me, I have only your best interest at heart" He gently pulled her to her feet, sat in her place and pulled her back onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. He held her in silence, thinking how to best let Rodolphus know that Bella was off limits to him, Crucio seemed a bit inadequate, he would like something that would leave a lasting, painful physical scar that would help him resist the temptation. And he knew Bella would tempt Rodolphus; she had survived his attack and that would draw him to her like a moth to a flame. He hated to be bested by anyone, especially a woman. Voldemort glanced down at her face, her eyes were closed and her lashes were still wet with her tears. She would have been surprised at the fury that was building within his cold and cruel heart, the thought of Rodolphus brutalizing her enraged him. His vengeance would be brutal and lingering. Voldemort brushed her cheek with his finger and she opened her eyes.

"As much as I hate to say it, it is time for you to return to Hogsmeade"

Bella nodded and stood up; he took her in his arms and kissed her slowly and intensely. She held him tightly and was reluctant to let go, he could sense her fear.

"Don't fret about the Lestrange's, my beauty, I will personally make it clear to them that I would be most unhappy if they do anything to displease you"

Later that evening, as Bella lay awake in her bed, she thought back on the events of the day. In the forefront of her thoughts were the Lestranges. She hated to admit fear but they both frightened her, she sincerely hoped that her contact with them would be limited as she pursued her path as a Death Eater. She was also worried that Voldemort knew she was keeping things from him and she was afraid that he somehow find out about Lupin. Every time she saw Remus in the halls, he would give her a sly little smile and she would return it. It was getting more and more difficult not to approach him and have a repeat of the summer encounter. She sighed as she pulled her quilt closer, _could my life get any more complicated?_


	28. The Epiphany of Snape

**Chapter 28**

**The Epiphany of Snape**

The snow was falling and Hogwarts was preparing for a grand holiday. This Christmas Bella and Lizzie would be staying at school. There was to be a Yule Ball and they decided to attend, and since they had permission to Apparate to London for New Years Eve, they felt it would be no great loss to miss the Black family party. Now it was time to think about dates and what to wear. Dress robes were expected so Bella would have to save her usual sexy attire for New Years and as for dates, the pickings were a bit slim. Lizzie didn't want a date if it couldn't be Antonin but Bella told her she had to have an escort or she would look like a loser.

"Look Liz, I know that the choices are limited, but we must enter the hall on the arms of acceptable boys, you can always ignore them once the ball gets under way"

Lizzie shot her a very grumpy look "Well, who are you going with?"

Bella grimaced "I don't know, like I said choices are limited" her face broke into a dirty grin "Wish I could ask Professor Atticus, I would love to dance with him holding me in those strong arms" Bella sighed at the thought of her head of house, a tall, long haired blond god with a powerful build and gorgeous deep blue eyes.

"I don't think you can go with a teacher, but how about Remus?"

Bella looked around to see if anyone overheard "SHHH! That has to stay a secret, plus he is only a fourth year, I have to go with someone from my own year"

Lizzie sighed "Oh well, looks like we had better hit up the Quidditch team before they all get taken"

Bella nodded in agreement and by dinner that night Lizzie was hooked up with Ryan O' Dowd, Slytherin Seeker and Bella was going with Riven McMordres, the Slytherin Keeper, the same boy she and Brytel Glower had once fought over.

"Riven? God he is just such a pompous prat, Bella" Lizzie was shaking her head as she picked at her treacle tart.

"I know, but he is good looking enough to appear on my arm and then I will just ignore him the rest of the night"

Bella glanced over at Remus who was talking to a fourth year Ravenclaw girl, she wondered if he was asking her to the ball. A pang of jealousy seared through her, why would he want to go with a Ravenclaw anyway, all brains and no fun. She pushed her plate away and told Lizzie she would see her back in the common room.

As she headed down to the dungeons, someone called out her name; it was Severus Snape.

"Bella, do you have a second?"

She stopped and gave him a quirky little smile "Sevy! What's up?"

He frowned when she called him Sevy and wisely squelched the urge to call her Trixie.

"Um I was wondering if you had a date for the ball yet?" his pale cheeks had patches of pink.

Bella's quirky smile spread into a full-blown grin of delight "Are you asking me out Sevy?"

His face had gone from pink to a serious shade of red now "If you don't already have a date, I am"

She wanted to laugh at him but at the same time she had to admire his courage, not many men have the nerve to ask her out, let alone a fourth year boy.

She decided not to be too mean. "Oh, I'm afraid I am already going with Riven"

Severus nodded his head "I figured you would have a date pretty quick, sorry I bothered you. Bye" and he hurried away in the opposite direction.

She smiled at his retreating figure, Sevy was a strange boy but Bella liked him for some reason, too bad he wasn't a seventh year. She would have considered throwing over Riven and going with him instead.

The evening of the ball had finally arrived and the students were all gathered in the entrance hall waiting for the doors to open and the dinner to begin. Bella was in fine red silk robes embellished with silver embroidery and Riven was wearing black robes with red embroidery, they made a very handsome couple. Lizzie was looking at her date's hair with disappointment, he had not made as much effort to look nice as she would have liked. Minutes later the doors opened and the couples made their way to the tables for dinner. As they enjoyed a fine feast, Bella looked around and checked out who was with whom. Sirius was with a very pretty Gryffindor sixth year girl and he looked like his usual gorgeous but arrogant self. James was chatting with a rather plain Hufflepuff fourth year and Peter, to no ones surprise, didn't have a date. Her gaze landed on Remus and he was indeed with the Ravenclaw girl she had seen him talking to. She was rather studious looking with glasses, her hair in a tight bun and robes of navy blue. She seemed to be a bit bored and annoyed at having to sit with his friends. Bella felt her pain on that point.

"Bella, did you hear me?" Riven had been regaling them with his triumphs on the Quidditch field.

"Yes, I heard you, an amazing save that won the game, blah, blah, blah" She waved her hand at him dismissively as she continued to scan the hall. She was looking for Sevy and soon found him sitting glumly with Regulus, neither one of them had escorts. He saw her looking at him and she gave him a sympathetic smile, she decided to ask him to dance later, if Riven would ever stop bothering her.

"Bella, honestly, you are a terrible dinner companion, you haven't heard a word I've said," he complained huffily.

"Fine!" she tossed her napkin on the table "I'm going to have dessert with someone who can talk about something other than themselves!" and she got up and went over to Severus's table, leaving Riven speechless for the first time since the evening started. "Make room, I'm finishing my dessert with you, Sevy" she squeezed a chair in between him and Regulus and sat down and dished some bread pudding onto a plate.

"Regie, where's your date, you're a Black for gods sake, there's no excuse for you not having an escort" she berated him as she nibbled her pudding.

"I'm playing the field tonight, love, don't want to be tied to just one bird for the whole ball," he proclaimed with a wink at Severus.

Severus was too stunned to even notice Regulus, he was torn between wanting to sink into the floor and disappear or shout out to the whole hall that one of the best looking girls in the school was dumping her date to come have dessert with him. He glanced over at Riven, he looked furious. Severus was very glad he had his wand in his robes. As dinner wrapped up, the hall was transformed into a grand ballroom with a live band. Slowly couples began to make their way out onto the dance floor. Riven came over and grabbed Bella's hand aggressively "You're my date, so you better dance with me"

She snatched her hand back, he had made a fatal error by thinking he could order her about.

"No, I promised Severus that he would have this dance and he promised to not mention Quidditch once the whole time" And she took Severus's hand and pulled him, with much effort, to the dance floor.

"Bella, I don't dance!" he hissed as he tried to escape her grasp, but she would not let him go.

"Oh yes you do, now come on, hand on my waist"

He decided he definitely wanted to sink into the floor now as she put her arm around his neck.

"I don't bite, Sevy. Well, that's not exactly true, but I promise to behave to the best of my ability"

When Severus said he didn't dance it wasn't because he didn't know how, he had had lessons, he just hated to be in the spotlight, hated people looking at him. And people were looking all right, everyone always looked at Bellatrix Black. She pressed her cheek to his and whispered, her warm breath caressing his earlobe.

"You are a very good dancer for someone who says he can't dance"

"I didn't say I can't, I said I don't" he whispered back.

She pulled back and saw just a hint of a smug smile playing on his thin lips. She leaned back in and closed her eyes as the song played on. Severus saw Riven watching them as he danced with an awe-struck fifth year Slytherin girl, Snape flashed him a victorious smile and pulled Bella closer. He knew Riven would make a point of hexing him at the first opportune moment. _Let him try,_ Severus thought, _another pretty boy who thinks talent on the Quidditch field makes them better than everyone else_. He knew who would come out the better in a duel with wands. With Bellatrix in his arms he felt like he could do anything, it was like her confidence was contagious. The song ended and everyone clapped politely for the band and they started playing a song with a more upbeat tempo. Bella and Severus pulled apart slowly; Severus was not ready to give her up just yet.

"Can I get you a drink?"

Bella fanned herself with her hand "Yes, please, it seems quite hot in here"

He left and was back in a flash with two butter beers. Bella took a drink.

"Sevy, would you mind escorting me outside, I feel a bit light-headed, some fresh air would be lovely"

He held out his arm and she let him lead her outside. The front lawn had been turned into a beautiful winter garden with snow-covered trees that glowed with fairy lights, grand illuminated ice sculptures and a winding path that shimmered with opalescent, no-melt snowflakes. Along the way were small silver cauldrons with fires to warm the hands just in case one was walking without having ones hand in that of another's. They walked down the path in an awkward silence, it was a very romantic atmosphere and Bella could tell Severus felt out of his element.

"They went a bit overboard out here didn't they?" Bella said as she looked around.

"I was just thinking the same thing, seems a bit ridiculous for a school dance, overly romantic if you ask me" he then added quickly "Unless you are into that kind of stuff, then I suppose it's okay"

Bella smiled at his attempt to agree with her opinion no matter which way it went "I like romance but I don't need all of this superficial crap, romance for me can be just the moonlight and a stolen kiss"

Severus looked up at the cloudless sky and wondered if that was some kind of invitation, but he didn't have long to ponder it.

"There you are you stupid slut, I have been looking all over for you!" It was Riven and his attitude was worse than ever, he gave Severus a condescending glare "Look grease ball, get lost, Bella and I have some _things _to take care of"

It was like magic in stereo as both Bella and Snape pulled their wands and shouted "Stupefy!"

Riven was thrown backwards into a clump of bushes sending fairies fleeing in all directions. Bella and Severus looked at each other in surprise and at the same time said "Nice work" They broke out into a fit of laughter, and then Severus looked worried.

"You know, we are going to be in a lot of trouble for this, I'm not even supposed to know that spell yet"

Bella shook her head "Not if old Riven can't remember what happened to him. Watch and learn, Sevy"

She walked up to Riven's still figure and pointed her wand at his head, Severus watched in devilish anticipation.

"Obliviate"

Bella twirled her wand between her fingers before she lifted the hem of her robes and put it back in the top of her stocking.

"And that's how we hex someone and get away with it, love"

She beamed at his astonished expression.

"Where did you learn that spell, in advanced dark arts?" he asked with curious excitement.

Bella took his arm again and they began to continue their stroll down the path.

"Lets just say that I have had some extra lessons outside of Hogwarts"

He stopped and turned to face her "Can you teach me?"

She contemplated him for a moment, he was young but she knew he was smart and talented and for some reason she felt a connection with him. She looked at his wan complexion, hooked nose and lank black hair, he was not really good looking in any conventional sense of the word but she felt like he could be an equal to her. He was wicked, just like her.

"Yes, I think I can show you a few things before the end of term"

He nodded "I'm quite good at potions if you need any help and I have access to some very err... hard to get ingredients"

Bella laughed, "I bet you and Regulus get along great"

"Regulus and I do see eye to eye on many topics, including what an arrogant ass his brother is"

Bella stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek "Severus, you are alright in my book, lets go back inside, I want one more dance"

They returned to the hall and, as they waited for another slow song, a skinny but not entirely ugly third year Slytherin girl came up to Severus and shyly asked him to dance. At first he thought she was joking until Bella nudged him with her elbow.

"Go on, we can dance later"

The girl practically yanked his arm out of the socket she was so enthusiastic to get him on the floor.

"Looks like you lost both of your dates"

Bella turned and smiled at Remus. "So where is your date?"

He tilted his head towards a table of chatting Ravenclaw girls, his date had her back to the dance floor.

"She's not really the dancing, socializing type I guess" He shrugged.

Bella sighed "I'm bored, want to help me get a rise out of Sirius?"

"Bella, he's my friend, why would I do that?"

She licked her lips slowly "So, you don't want to dance with me?"

Remus smiled and shook his head "You just want to stir up trouble, but what the bloody hell, this night has been a total bore, might as well have a little fun" he took her hand "Let's dance"

Remus put his arms around her waist and she put hers around his neck and they swayed slowly to the music. Snape was the better dancer but Lupin was definitely more handsome, Bella could not resist running her fingers through his hair as he held her close.

"I wish I could kiss you," he murmured quietly.

They were interrupted before she had a chance to respond.

"Mind if I cut in?" Sirius was looking daggers at his cousin.

"Oh, Sirius, I had no idea you felt that way about me, mate" Remus joked.

"I need a word with Bella, now"

"It's okay Lupin" she wangled her finger at Sirius "I'll dance with you just as long as you don't try to grope my ass"

Bella let go of Remus and put her arms around Sirius's neck, he put one hand on her waist and with the other he grabbed her hair and talked into her ear.

"I don't know what you are up to, but do not involve Remus, I swear I will make your life a miserable hell if you don't leave him alone"

Bella had a fake smile plastered on her face as she replied, "Remus doesn't need you to tell him what to do, so stop being such a self-righteous git"

People had stopped dancing and were beginning to watch the adversarial couple.

"And if you don't let go of my hair, _you_ will be the one in hell"

He gave her hair an extra hard pull and then, a moment later, he was crumpled over, moaning in agony. Bella had planted her knee right in his groin.

"I warned you, but as usual, you never listen to anyone" Bella spat out with deep-seated loathing as she smoothed her disheveled hair.

She waltzed out of the hall leaving a murmuring crowd in her wake. She hoped that the New Years party in London was better than this, if not, then the whole holiday would have been a huge waste. She returned to the common room and was just getting ready to go to bed when someone called out her name.

"Bella, are you alright?"

It was Severus; he had followed her out of the hall.

She tried to smile but it was a half-hearted attempt "Yeah, I'm fine, just disappointed, I should have gone home for Christmas"

Severus hesitated then spoke "Um..if you like, I have some rum up in my trunk, want me to bring it down? No one will be back for awhile"

"_You_ have booze hidden in your dorm?" she exclaimed in astonishment "Wow, I had no idea you were such a deviant. I would love a drink"

He returned to the common room a couple of minutes later with a full fifth of rum.

Bella took a sip "Is this the work of Regulus?"

Snape nodded and she smiled "He does have talent, I'll give him that"

They sat on a sofa in front of the fire, passing the bottle back and forth, talking about the dance, classes and professors. Finally, he got up nerve to ask her what he had been thinking all night.

"Bella, why are you even talking to me? I'm a nobody at this school"

Bella looked into his black, penetrating eyes, they were definitely his best feature.

"Sevy, I have a feeling about you, like that you are a way more powerful wizard than you realize, and boys eventually grow into men and I like powerful men"

Severus studied her face for any sign that she was anything but serious; he saw none.

"Even if they are not are not handsome or rich?"

Bella took a deep swig from the bottle "Handsome men are not always clever, neither are rich ones, and believe it or not, most of the time I like a bloke that can debate the qualities of proper hexing over one that just looks good. Mind you, it's nice to shag a handsome man, but if he can't do that properly either, he's just a waste of my time"

At that moment his whole perspective on women changed. He had always assumed that good looks were necessary to get a girl and he was painfully aware that he would never really have that, but power was achievable. He was already well on his way to being a skilled wizard, he had abilities that eluded most of the handsome boys at Hogwarts. And Bella had ditched her handsome date to be with him, power was the key to keeping a girl like her interested. He wanted to kiss her with every fiber of his being but even with the rum, he was not yet that brave. Bella smiled at him.

"You are surprised, aren't you, that I would choose power over looks or money. I think you would be surprised if you met the man that I have been having an affair with since I was fifteen. He is wealthy but not particularly handsome and he is much older, but his scope of power is amazing. He has taught me more than I could have ever hoped to learn here"

He was glad that he had not tried to kiss her; he had no idea that she had an older boyfriend, though he was not really surprised. Still, he was not willing to give up completely, he wanted to learn from her and that was a way to have her in his life in some capacity.

"Teach me what he has taught you, Bella, I want that power, I want to be feared like you"

Bella's mind was turning, he was only fourteen but he had the makings of a Death Eater, he was a worthy recruit, there was the future to be thinking of.

"I think I can give you some private lessons, Sevy. Talk to me after the holiday and we can work something out"

Eventually a few more students made their way back to the common room and they ended up sharing the rum. Bella decided around 2:00 to go to bed and she leaned over and kissed Severus quickly on the lips "I'm off to bed, see you later"

He watched her until she rounded the curve of the stairs and was out of sight, he had a feeling that tonight had been a major turning point in his life.


	29. A Traitor in the Family

Chapter 29

A Traitor in The Family

The New Years party was considerably better than the Yule ball had been, Bella got to spend the night with Lord Voldemort and the highlight of the party had been a grand, romantic gesture. Antonin Dolohov had stood up before all assembled, pulled a magnificent diamond ring from his pocket and asked Lizzie to become his wife. She of course said yes. It was a fantastic ending to the holiday and now they were anxiously counting down the days until June. Bella had begun to tutor Severus in the ways of the Death Eaters and was pleased with his progress; he was a quick study and rather fun to be around. She was surprised to find that he had a fiendish sense of humor and was always coming up with new ways to torment those unfortunate enough to get on the wrong side of Slytherin.

But there was another boy whose company she enjoyed also, Remus Lupin. It was the middle of May and she was in the library working on a paper for Advanced Transfiguration when Remus and her ended up searching for books in the same remote part of the stacks.

Bella was surprised to see him "Remus, what are you doing all the way back here?"

"I'm guessing the same thing as you, looking for a book, that's what one usually does in a library" he replied with a grin.

"Stop being a smart ass, it detracts from your cuteness"

His grin widened "I like to think of myself as handsome, rather than cute"

"I bet you think you are humble too?" Bella giggled.

"Oh yes, and I'm a great kisser also"

She rolled her eyes "I think you've let Sirius be a bad influence on you"

"Well, Sirius has that effect on people" He replied with a laugh.

"He's a first class git and so is James, don't let them turn you into one" Bella warned.

Remus cocked his head "So does that mean I'm like a second class git?"

Bella raised an eyebrow "They are definitely a bad influence"

He stepped closer and took her hand in his "I take it that means you don't want to kiss me then?"

She put her free hand around his neck "Oh I didn't say that" And she parted her lips as he put his to hers. He had his other hand on the back of her head, gently holding her close as his fingers intertwined in her soft hair. Bella could have kissed him all night and been perfectly content, but that was not to be. Neither of them heard the approaching footsteps until it was too late.

"You foul little whore!"

Bella was yanked away from Remus suddenly and violently.

"Ow! Let go of my hair you asshole!" Bella screeched at Sirius. He had no intention of letting her go as he slammed her into the shelves.

"I warned you to leave him alone!"

Remus grabbed Sirius by the front of his robes "Stop it! Let go of her!"

Sirius shoved him backwards with a snarl "Stop trying to defend her! She is pure evil, can't you see that?"

"He can decide for himself, you bastard, back off!" Bella yelled as she took a swing at her enraged cousin. He ducked the punch and responded by backhanding her across the mouth. Blood was running down her chin from her cut lip. Bella wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her robes as she pulled out her wand. She was calling him every derogatory name she could think of.

"...damn filthy blood traitor, mud-blood loving, muggle fucking..."

Sirius drew his as well but he was ill prepared for what she had in store for him.

"Crucio!"

She uttered the spell with the venom of pure hatred dripping from the word. As Sirius, her own flesh and blood, writhed in excruciating pain on the floor in front of her she just smiled with superior pleasure. Remus, on the other hand, was horrified. He grabbed her wand and yanked it upwards to break the spell.

"Bella, stop! You're going to kill him!"

"No, I would have used a different spell if I wanted to kill him" Bella replied glibly. Sirius was trying to catch his breath as Remus helped him to his feet. He grinned at Bella as he gasped his final threat.

"That's an unforgivable curse. Trixie, you just got yourself expelled and hopefully sent to prison!"

"One of these days I promise I will hunt you down and kill you once and for all, Sirius Black" And she turned around and swept out of the library.

On her way back to the common room she knew she was in big trouble. There was no doubt in her mind that Sirius would run crying to Dumbledore. She would have killed him on he spot if Remus hadn't been there as a witness. Her memory charms were good but not good enough to withstand the scrutiny of Ministry Aurors. As she entered the common room she spied Severus and when he saw the worried expression on her face he jumped up and was by her side immediately.

"Bella, are you ok? Is that blood on your face?" He put his hand gently to her cheek.

She took his hand and led him back out into the corridor and into an empty classroom.

"Sev, I'm in serious trouble. Like the kind of trouble that you go to prison for" She was shaking as she spoke.

Severus's eyes were big as saucers "What? What did you do?"

Bella told him about what had just happened in the library and when she was finished all he could say was "What on earth possessed you to kiss Lupin?"

"Sev!" she exclaimed with exasperation "I Crucio'ed Sirius right here in the school, under Dumbledore's nose! And he is going to tell!" Bella screeched hysterically as she began to pace back and forth frantically.

"What the hell was I thinking? He just infuriates me, always grabbing my hair and calling me a whore. I couldn't stop myself. He deserved it!"

Severus looked at her. She was making no effort to put on a brave front; her fear was dead obvious. All he could think of was protecting her, but how? Severus felt that familiar wave of helplessness bowl him over, just as it did when his father vented his rage on his mother. Yet again, he was unable to help a woman that he cared for when she was in distress. Tears had begun to roll down Bella's perfectly boned cheeks and all he could think to do was put his arms around her. She laid her head on his shoulder "Sev, I afraid" she whispered.

He stroked her hair as he spoke in his low, soothing tone.

"I know Bella, I wish I could take you far away where no one would find us"

Bella lifted her head and looked into his eyes and saw that he meant it. She softly kissed his lips "Thank you Severus"

Just then the door burst open and Professor Atticus and Dumbledore bore down on them.

"Mr. Snape, return to the common room immediately" Professor Atticus was pointing out the door. Bella stepped back from him and whispered with a small sob in her voice "Goodbye Sevy"

He hesitated; he did not want to abandon her. He grabbed her hand and stood his ground. Bella smiled at his loyalty "Sev, don't worry, I'll be fine. I have friends in high places that will rally to my defense." Then she whispered, "I will never forget you, Sevy. I hope we meet again." And she reluctantly pulled her hand from his and walked out of the room with Dumbledore, holding her head high and proud.

In the Headmaster's office Bella sat bracing herself for the worst. Dumbledore looked at the beautiful young woman and marveled at how such a pretty package could mask such cruelty and evil. As he spoke her name he wondered if her parents had known how she would grow to live up to it.

"Bellatrix, this is inexcusable behavior. I blame myself for not being harder on you. I saw the signs and now it has come to this. I know that it would be a futile effort to have you put in prison, for you do have friends that have influence in the Ministry and they would plead your youth and say you were naive. What I can do is remove you from this school forever. An Elf is packing your trunk and you will be on the train back to London right away."

Bella looked into his flashing blue eyes and showed no signs of remorse. She knew she had power over him; she was like her nemesis, Rodolphus Lestrange, above the law.

"Good riddance to this school and all of the mud bloods and half breeds that dwell in it. You haven't heard the last of me Albus Dumbledore, my name will conjure fear and respect sooner than you can imagine" And with that she strode out the door.

Dumbledore was as good as his word, she left without even getting to say goodbye to anyone. She arrived at Kings Cross at 4:00 A.M. and made her way to the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of the night. She had been expelled from school with just a couple of weeks to go before NEWTS, what was her father going to say? The next day as she sat in the pub picking at her lunch, a letter arrived for her.

_Dear Bella,_

_Meet me at the warehouse at 1:00._

_Father_

The old warehouse in Diagon Ally was where Bella was going to live. The top floor of the old warehouse was being converted into a loft apartment that supposed to be ready in late June. Bella shoved her plate back; she had lost what little bit of appetite she had left. It was time to face the wrath of her father.

Bella stepped into the old lift and tapped the lever with her wand and it creaked upwards with much clanging of the heavy chains that pulled it to the top floor. As the doors opened her father standing in the large room with his arms crossed in front of his chest greeted her. He gestured her wordlessly towards a solitary black leather couch that sat in the middle of the vast room. She sat down and he sat next to her.

"Bella, obviously I know what happened at school last night and I must say I'm surprised you lasted this long. But what's done is done and we must look towards the future"

"Daddy, my future is with Lord Voldemort, serving him and his cause"

Her father shook his head sadly "Bell, my beautiful little girl, you need to think about finding a suitable wizard and starting a family. Lord Voldemort has many followers, he does not need you"

Bella jumped up "A family? Daddy, I'm only seventeen, I have plenty of time to worry about that later! And Lord Voldemort does need me and I need him!"

He put his face into his hands; Bella had never seen her father look so defeated.

"Bella, you maybe the last hope to carry on the family line"

"That's not true. Narcissa and Andromeda will have children and you know it" Bella reassured him.

"Narcissa and Lucius have been trying for some time now and have yet to produce a child. As for Andromeda..." He hesitated "Bella, I didn't want to tell you while you were studying for your NEWTS.."

Bella became alarmed "Is Andromeda ok?" Her oldest sister had been somewhat distant from the family since leaving Hogwarts, claiming to be working as a traveling aid worker for an enchanted animal rescue group.

"She has forsaken her family Bella, she has secretly married a muggle and is pregnant with his half blood child"

Bella could not believe what he was saying; her own sister was a traitor.

"So you see Bell, a successful marriage is even more pertinent now"

She sat back down and leaned back with her eyes closed.

"Daddy, I don't want to get married yet, I'm not ready and I don't even have a boyfriend"

He put his arm around her in a show of affection that surprised her.

"I know this is not what you wanted and I don't expect you to find someone right away but this is important Bella. The continuation of the family line and the need to procreate more pure blooded wizards is paramount"

She curled her legs up underneath her and laid her head on her father's shoulder. They sat like that for a long while, both contemplating what the future might hold. Finally her father broke the silence "I guess we need to get this place finished so you can move in. I'm sure you will want to have your birthday party here"

Bella smiled, it was like he could read her mind. She had been planning her first party ever since she found out where she was going to live. This apartment was as big as a nightclub and she planned on taking full advantage of all it had to offer.


	30. Sevy Returns

**Chapter 30**

**Sevy Returns**

During the next three years Bella partied hard, was the maid of honor at Lizzie and Antonin's wedding and became a Death Eater to be feared. Lord Voldemort had spent much time and energy developing her considerable talent. She had headed up several tasks and was proving herself to be merciless to those who would dare oppose the Dark Lord. Her devout loyalty to him was fierce and unwavering. Lord Voldemort's loyalty to her was almost as fierce and it was common knowledge that among all of the women that he bedded, she was his lover of choice. It was this status that got her the assignments she wanted and she was currently working on assessing the worthiness of new candidates that wanted to join the ranks of the Dark Lord.

"Bella, Malfoy has given me the name of a young man, fresh from Hogwarts, who is interested in joining me. He says the boy knows you from school"

Bella looked up from the notebook that she was scribbling in "Really? What's his name?"

"Severus Snape. Lucius says he has great potential. Quite a master when it comes to illicit potions, so he says"

She smiled as she replied, "I do know him and he does have potential. I was teaching him on the sly before I got chucked out of school"

Voldemort stared at her intently; she had a sparkle in her eye and breathiness to her voice that made him wonder if their relationship was more than teacher and student. A jolt of jealously shot through him but he suppressed the urge to say something. She already had too much power over him as it was; he had no desire to give her anymore.

"I suggest you meet him as soon as possible due to the fact that I am going to be leaving for an extended amount of time. I would like a preliminary assessment before I leave"

Bella frowned " Leaving? Where are you going? For how long?"

Voldemort beckoned her to him and she sat on the green chintz loveseat next to him. He put his hand on her knee and ran it up her thigh, pulling her skirt up with it as he went. "I'm going to complete my transformation to immortality, Bella. But it will take time, maybe two months or more, and when I return I will look very much different than I do now but I will be invincible"

She looked into his gaunt, pale face "What do you mean 'different'?"

Lord Voldemort had not aged one day since she had met him ten years ago and she could not imagine him looking any other way.

"I am not entirely sure but I do know I will not look like a mortal human"

Bella sat up on her knees and ran her fingers through his fashionably cut black hair.

"I like the way you look now" she whispered as she pressed herself against him. "I like your eyes and the way they look at me with burning desire"

She traced his lips with her finger "I love your lips and the way they kiss me all over my hot skin" She put her lips softly to his as she straddled his lap. "I love the way your hands roam my body, caressing every inch" Voldemort grabbed his sexy, young lover's bottom and pulled her close. She knew how to turn him on like no other woman; it was going to be hard to leave her even though it meant immortality. He pushed that unpleasant thought from his mind for the moment. There was a young beautiful girl on his lap that wanted his undivided attention and he planned on giving it to her.

It was 10:30 a.m. and Bella was outside Snape's apartment dressed in a black halter-top and a black denim skirt. She looked like any other person on the muggle London street, but with one difference, her wand was strapped to her thigh under her skirt. Bella climbed the metal stairs up to the third floor flat and knocked on the door. Severus Snape opened the door and gaped at the sight that greeted him. He could scarcely believe that Bellatrix Black was standing in his doorway. Bella was surprised also. Severus was now eighteen years old and had grown into his strong features nicely. He had on a black t-shirt with a picture of popular rock group and a pair of faded jeans. His hair was much longer and it was rumpled like he had been running his hands through it.

Bella smiled broadly at him, she held back a giggle at the look on his face "Hello Sevy, what's up?"

Severus just stared; he was at a loss for words. Bella could stifle her giggle no longer and finally asked, "So are you going to invite me in or what?"

Severus moved aside and she walked into his small but tidy flat. She looked around "Wow, your girlfriend keeps this place quite tidy, doesn't she?"

Snape frowned, "I don't have a girlfriend"

"Really? I could never be this tidy, my place is always a wreck. Of course, if I stopped having so many parties, my place might stay a bit cleaner" Bella mused.

She flopped down on his sofa, kicked off her sandals and folded her feet up underneath her. Severus sat on the arm of a chair and blurted out "What are you doing here?"

Bella rolled her eyes "I thought Malfoy told you I was coming. You are interested in joining Lord Voldemort, right?"

"Oh, yes. And no, he didn't mention you at all"

Bella smirked and gave a little snort, "No surprise there, I think just the sound of my name makes him physically ill"

Severus finally cracked a smile "I can't believe you're here. It's good to see you again, you look great"

Bella was taken off guard when she realized she was blushing. _Get a grip Bell_ she thought to herself.

"It's nice to see you too, Sevy. I'm glad to see that the mud-bloods and muggle lovers didn't get you down"

Severus fell back into the overstuffed chair "Oh they tried, trust me, they tried"

As he sat sideways in the chair he noticed that he could just see up Bella's skirt and spied her wand strapped to her slender thigh. For some reason he found the sight incredibly sexy and erotic and was so distracted that he didn't hear a word she was saying.

"Sev, yoohoo, wake up love" Bella waved her hands in the air. Severus snapped out of his trance. "Oh, sorry, bit of a late night last night"

She nodded sympathetically, "Story of my life, darling. I was saying tell me about the skills you have that might be an asset to Lord Voldemort's cause"

Severus began to tell her about all the spells, hexes and charms he had mastered. He also had a deep knowledge of potions and ingredients that Bella was sure would come in handy.

"Well Sev, I think we have much more to discuss. I will talk to the Dark Lord as soon as possible and we can move on from there" Bella slowly got up from the sofa and walked towards the door.

"Oh, by the way, I'm having a party this Saturday night, you should come. Top floor of the old Black industrial building in Diagon Alley"

Trying to play it cool, Severus nodded, "Maybe I'll swing by"

Bella gave him a little wave "Great, I hope you do"

Bella smiled to herself as she walked back down the street. She hadn't realized how much she missed Severus these last three years.

It was Saturday night and Severus Snape was standing in the lift of Bella's building trying to build up the courage to go up to the party. It had taken him over an hour to decide what to wear and finally settled on black jeans and a black button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His hair was neatly combed and but he didn't shave, he thought it made him look older to have a bit of stubble. He took a deep breath and tapped the gate on the lift with his wand and it slowly lumbered up to the third floor flat. Music was playing in the hazy, smoke filled room. There were about fifty people standing about drinking and chatting, all of them seemed so much older and more sophisticated than him. He scanned the room and spied his host. Bellatrix was wearing a strapless red silk dress with delicate silver spiky heeled sandals. She looked over, saw him and waved at him to join her.

"Sev! You came! I'm so glad!" She gave him a brief embrace and before he could say a word she frowned at his hair.

"That style doesn't suit you, it looked so sexy the other day" she grabbed his hand "Come on, we need to fix it"

She led him to a bathroom and kicked the lid down on the toilet and directed him to have a seat. She rummaged around in a drawer until she found the tube she wanted. She squeezed out a bit of the goo and began to put it in his hair. Severus would have been mortified by what she was doing if it hadn't been for the fact that her ample breasts were right in his face; her soft, curvaceous cleavage rising and falling hypnotically with each breath. Severus watched, mesmerized, as she ran her hands through his hair.

"There, much better!" Bella exclaimed as she backed away to admire her handy work.

Severus silently thanked his lucky stars that Bella was a bit drunk and hadn't noticed the obvious bulge in his jeans. He needed a drink in a bad way. Bella took his hand and pulled him back to the party and thankfully headed straight for the bar. Bella introduced him around and as the night progressed a buxom blond woman named Preta began to chat him up. Bella noticed her touching him and giggling like a silly schoolgirl. She was irritated with herself for feeling jealous. Sevy wasn't even her type. But she was glad nonetheless when Preta left with another man. Long after everyone had left or passed out, Bella and Severus found themselves discussing the expectations of a Death Eater, fun ways to torment muggles and a host of other interesting topics. It was nearly dawn by the time Severus reluctantly headed for home. It had been an amazing night. And he thought Bellatrix Black was an even more amazing woman. She was smart, cunning, vicious and wicked. Plus she was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. _Forget it you fool_ he admonished himself _a girl like that would never go for a guy like you_. But she did seem to at least _like_ him and that was better than nothing.

Bella finally, days later, had a chance to discuss Severus with Lord Voldemort.

"He's clever and conniving, has a definite disregard for the law and is a quick learner. I think he is worthwhile training, he has a better grasp on potions than anyone else we have"

Voldemort considered her carefully, he knew there were other reasons that she wanted to maintain contact; she always was so poor at hiding her emotions.

"So it is his ability you admire then?" he asked her slyly.

Bella was no fool; she knew what he was getting at "Yes, I admire his ability. And he is interesting and smart, I like talking to him"

Voldemort's eyes narrowed "Just talking?"

She was surprised at his tone, so accusatory.

"You're not jealous are you?"

He scoffed at her "Of a mere boy? Hardly"

Bella walked over to him and draped herself seductively in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her warm, moist lips against his ear as she whispered,

"You know that I could never love anyone more than you, Master"

He knew that she slept with other men but that was just sex, physical gratification. What he sensed when she spoke of this boy was more than sexual desire, she had feelings for him. This was not the first time he had sensed Bella had an emotional bond with another man, but she was still at school and he dismissed it as a passing crush. He was now wondering if this boy was that same crush from the past. Could a boy with undeveloped talent and no power steal Bella's love from him? A little voice inside his head said _yes, he can give her things you can't._ Things like companionship, romance and the attention she desired. He looked into her eyes and she stared back adoringly, he had a disheartening feeling that when he came back from this final metamorphosis she would not stare back at him in the same way.


	31. A Love Like No Other

Chapter 31 

**A Love Like No Other**

With Lord Voldemort gone, Bella found herself at Severus's apartment fairly often. Sometimes they worked learning new spells and practicing dueling. Other times, as the next two weeks progressed, they just hung out having fun. Severus was a master of muggle teasing. He loved bewitching trees out on the street from the window of his flat. The branches would smack muggles as they walked by giving them quite a fright. Bella would fall to the floor with gleeful laughter at the sight and Severus loved to hear it. He loved making her happy and was surprised to find it was really quite easy. Bella insisted on ale or wine in the icebox at all times, was delighted when he cooked for her and loved it when he did wicked things to unsuspecting muggles. They truly enjoyed each other's company immensely.

It was about three weeks after Lord Voldemort's departure that Bella's father paid her an unexpected visit. She was just rolling out of bed at noon when she was startled by her father sitting in her living room.

"Daddy! Holy hell, you scared me half to death!" Bella had her hand to her pounding heart "What are you doing here?"

Her father stood up, he still had on his black travelling cloak "Bella, we need to discuss your future"

Bella rolled her eyes "I thought we settled this already"

Her father raised his voice slightly "Bella, it has been three years since you left school and you have accomplished nothing. I want you to leave Lord Voldemort's service and settle down"

Bella looked at him like he had just asked her to cut out her heart with a dull butter knife. The only coherent word she could force from her mouth was "No"

Her father just shook his head "Bell, it is not a request, but a demand. It's time for you to serve your family now"

He turned and headed for the lift, leaving without another word.

Bella quickly bathed, threw on some clothes and was on Severus's doorstep within an hour. As soon as she walked in, a terrible smell distracted her from her problems. She pulled her shirt up over her nose "What is that bloody awful smell?"

Severus frowned "Awful? That's how it's supposed to smell!" He seemed a bit insulted.

Bella walked into the small kitchen where he was stirring a cauldron on the stove. The contents were gray and lumpy; it looked as disgusting as it smelled.

"What is that anyway?"

He looked at Bella; she was standing so close that her arm was just brushing up against his and with her shirt pulled up to her nose a good bit of her torso was bared. He wasn't sure how much longer he could go on just being friends. He shook his head to clear his thoughts before he replied.

"It's Polyjuice potion. Brings a pretty sickle on the black market"

Bella gasped and exclaimed "Sev, that's super illegal!" Then she gave his arm a little squeeze "I'm impressed"

She left Severus wondering how badly she would curse him if he tried to kiss her

as she walked out of the kitchen to throw open the French doors that led out to a miniscule balcony. She stepped out for a breath of fresh air. Severus joined her a minute later and handed her a cold bottle of potent goblin-brewed ale. She looked like she needed the strong stuff.

"Bella are you alright? You look a bit peaky"

She took a deep drink from her bottle before she replied, "My father paid me a little visit this morning. It was most unpleasant"

Severus nodded, he knew all about unpleasant fathers.

Bella walked back inside and dropped onto the sofa. "He just doesn't seem to understand that my work with Lord Voldemort is important. What we are trying to accomplish will benefit all pure blooded wizard families"

Severus sat down next to her and sighed, "My father is happy with my career path. At least I think he is. His comment was 'Well at least you are finally doing something that is not a total embarrassment to the family.' That's as close to approval as I'll get"

Bella leaned her head back on the couch and looked over at him "He sounds like a right little prat"

Severus gave a wan smile "That about sums it up"

Bella took a deep breath as she tried to hold back tears "Why can't they just let us live our lives the way we want?"

Severus looked into her tear filled eyes and could hold back his own emotions no longer. He put his hand gently to her soft cheek and she did not pull away. He leaned in closer; she was so pretty, so vulnerable.

"Bella, I want you to be happy. I want to make you happy"

Bella, in turn, put her hand to his stubbly cheek and whispered in a low, raspy voice "You do make me happy, Sev"

Her lips were so close, her eyes so full of longing. His very soul hungered for her and the need to feed that desire was overwhelming; he could not stop himself. He had longed for this moment, picturing it over and over in his mind but he could not have imagined how incredible it would truly be. As his lips touched hers for the first time it was like being hit with a Cruciatus curse but instead of intense pain it was intense pleasure. Severus pulled back and Bella slowly opened her eyes. She had never been kissed quite like that before. He kissed her like she was the only woman in the world that he had ever desired. She gazed into his deep, dark eyes and spoke in a barely audible, quavering whisper "Oh my god, I think I'm in love with you"

He lightly kissed her lips again before replying "I have been in love with you ever since the night we danced at the Yule ball"

He stood up and held out his hand, "Let me show you how much I love you Bella" She took his hand and he led her to his bedroom. The room was small and dominated by a very large bed. Severus's king size bed had an intricate wrought iron headboard with a gothic flare to it. It reminded Bella of a gate in her mother's garden. She lay back on the large bed and stretched out luxuriously, her dark hair fanning out on the emerald green bedspread. Severus was doing his best to hide his extreme nervousness. He had only been with two other girls before and he had gotten the impression from them that he was less than skilled in the lovemaking department. Bella, on the other hand, was renowned for her sexual conquests and he knew that she slept with the Dark Lord himself. He was more than a little afraid that he would disappoint her. She held out her hand and he took it and climbed onto the bed. He lay next to her and she turned onto her side facing him. She smiled and gently kissed his lips, he responded by pulling her close against him. He could feel her heart beating as he ran his hand up her back under her tank top. She sat up, slowly pulled the top off over her head and smiled; she loved having a mesmerized audience. Severus watched with great anticipation as she slipped out of her shorts as well and lay back down. His fingers ran over her smooth skin, cupping her firm breast in his palm. Bella moaned softly and he kissed her deeply as she ran her fingers through his hair. His lips began to roam her body. He wanted to savor her taste, her smell, and the softness of her skin. She arched her back as his tongue slowly swirled around her hard nipple and when he gently gave it a little nip with his teeth she pulled him closer and cried out "Oh yes!"

She reached down and with one hand deftly unfastened his button fly jeans with incredible speed; she gasped out loud when she realized what he had been hiding in his navy blue boxers "Oh my god, you're huge!" She moaned, "If I had known that I would have jumped you weeks ago"

Severus gave a low, wicked laugh "Well, we have lots of catching up to do then"

He dispensed of the jeans and Bella yanked his t-shirt off. She was ready and Severus pushed her back onto the bed, hooked his fingers in her panties and slid them down her tan legs. Within seconds Bella's thighs were wrapped around his back and he was making love to the woman who had haunted his fantasies for most of his teenage years. He pinned her arms above her head, it was obvious that she enjoyed being submissive to him and he could hardly wait to make all of his fantasies reality.

It was early evening and Severus woke up with Bella asleep in his arms. He buried his face in her thick hair and breathed in her scent. Bella smiled and giggled slightly as she snuggled in closer to him.

"What are you giggling about?" he asked.

She lightly stroked his chest with her fingers "I'm not sure, I'm just so happy right now"

His hand closed around her wandering fingers "That's what I want for you Bell, I want to always make you happy. I love you Bella. More than you could ever imagine"

She lifted her head slightly so she could look into his face " I love you too Sev, with every fiber of my being. I love you like I have loved no other man before"

He kissed her forehead and she lay back on his chest. She did love him like no other man before, not even Lord Voldemort.


	32. A Cruel Turn of Events

Sorry this chapter was so long in coming but the holidays put me a bit behind. Hope everyone likes it and thanks for all the great reviews!

Chapter 32 

**A Cruel Turn of Events**

As the summer came to an end, Bella and Severus grew closer and closer. Bella practically lived at Severus's tiny flat, preferring it to her large loft. There was something about the third floor walk-up that felt comforting to her. Maybe it was the fact that her and Severus were always in such close proximity to each other. When he cooked she could see and talk to him from the living room. When he shaved she could poke him with her wet foot as she lounged in the tub. And Severus loved having her there as well. Her scent lingered in the air even when she wasn't home and there was always some piece of her clothing, often discarded in the throes of passion, laying in the living room. He was completely, thoroughly and hopelessly in love with Bella and her feelings for him were equally as strong.

It was the middle of September when Voldemort finally returned to his flock. The mark on Bella's arm burned black and she knew he had returned and wanted to see her. With great trepidation she apparated to his home, unsure of what awaited her there. She walked in the door and called out timidly "Master, are you here?"

A cold, high, raspy voice answered her "In the parlor, my beauty"

Bella walked towards the parlor, her heels echoing on the bare wood floors. She walked into the room and saw a cloak draped over the back of tall wing chair that was facing the hearth; she could see the toe of his black boot sticking out to the side.

"Come to me Bella, I have missed you greatly"

Slowly she made her way over to the chair; she did not want to see the person who spoke with such a voice. It chilled her to her very bones. She stopped just behind the chair.

"Master?"

Voldemort slowly rose from the chair and as he turned and faced her she could not hold back the scream generated by the horror that looked her in the eye. His face was unrecognizable. His nose was more like flat slits and his lips so thin that they could not hide the fangs that were now his teeth. His thick black hair was gone as were his eyebrows and lashes, his eyes were red with vertical black pupils; he was more serpentine than human. He reached out to touch her and she recoiled. Even in this bizarre form there was no mistaking the look of hurt on his face and Bella began to cry. She did not want to hurt him but at the same time she did not want him to touch her.

"Bella, my beauty, I longed for your warm lips every day that I was gone, please do not deny me"

She fell to her knees at his feet and sobbed "Master, what has happened to you, in the name of God, what happened?"

It was going worse than he expected, he was so accustomed to her fearlessness that a small part of him hoped she would only be mildly shocked at his new appearance. He realized now that he had been foolish to hope for as much. He knelt down and stroked her hair; he had missed her more than he would ever admit out loud.

"Bella, please don't cry. I may look very different but I am still the same man in my heart. I am still the same man who adores you above all others"

Bella looked up into his hideous face and he leaned in and kissed her. Even his tongue was forked like a snake: she felt like she was going to be sick and she pushed him away.

"Please, I can't…"

Anger flared in his evil red eyes as he pushed her backwards. She had never seen him in such a rage, especially not towards her. "You can Bella and you will. I am the master and you are my servant, don't ever forget that, my beauty"

She tried to scramble away but it was a futile effort and he was on top of her pinning her to the floor.

"No Master, please don't do this!" she cried as he tore open her robes and forced himself on her. Never before had he ever made her do anything that was against her will, she had always been an eager servant. He had never been cruel to her until now. And he was ferocious in his attack; he wanted to hurt her as much as she was hurting him by her rejection. There was no mercy in his cold heart, only fury and pain. She begged him to stop and she fought back but to no avail, he easily overpowered her. When he was finally done she was left lying on the floor, bleeding and crying. He had cut into her skin with his sharp, pointed fangs, leaving her with thin slashes on her arms and neck, the poison from them burning her skin.

He stood up and adjusted his robes. "Get out of my sight you silly little girl"

Bella got to her feet and pulled her shredded robes around her and ran for the door. She barely had enough strength to Apparate back to London.

She pulled out her wand, uttered the incantation to unlock the door of Severus's flat and collapsed as she walked over the threshold. Severus, who had been on the sofa reading, jumped up in alarm and ran over to her.

"Good lord Bell, are you alright?"

When she didn't reply he rolled her over and gasped at the state of her. He picked her up and laid her on the sofa.

"Bell, what happened? I think we need to get you to St. Mungo's right now" He was trying not to panic but there was a lot of blood and she was very pale.

She grabbed his robes with a look of panic in her eyes "No! I can't go there. No one can know what happened!"

"Bell, what did happen? Who or what did this to you?"

Bella sat up slowly, wincing as she did "Help me to the bath, I need a bath right now"

"I'll run it for you, just lie here until it's ready"

She nodded and when he came back he carried her to the bathroom. As he helped her take off what was left of her robes, he saw the true extent of her injuries and was devastated at the sight. Bruises on her arms and thighs were beginning to reveal themselves. She saw the look on his face and grabbed a towel and covered herself with it.

"Please don't look, just leave me so I can clean up"

He kissed her cheek and brushed a lock of her hair back behind her ear. "As you wish. Call me if you need me" And he closed the door behind him as he left the room. Bella sank into the hot water and tried to close her eyes but every time she did she saw Voldemort's hideous face in her mind. After about half an hour she decided she needed a stiff drink and got out of the bath. She went into the bedroom and put on one of Severus's t-shirts, it smelled like sage, just like him and it was a great comfort. Severus came in with a bowl in his hand.

"I brewed a potion to take care of those scratches. If you won't let me take you to St. Mungo's, at least let me do this"

Bella was too tired to argue and she took off the shirt and lay on the bed. Severus gently applied the salve and it was a welcome relief from the pain. She looked into his eyes and when he looked back she knew that this man truly did love her. It was not just obsession, not just lust but complete and unconditional love. She threw her arms around him "Oh Sev, you are the best man I have ever known. I love you so much"

He embraced her, kissing her cheek "Oh Bell, I'm the luckiest man in the world to have you love me"

All of her defenses had been broken down, she knew she could tell him anything and he would never hate her.

"Oh god Sev, it was horrible. He was horrible"

"Who Bella, tell me and I will make them suffer like they never have before"

Bella choked out "It was the Dark Lord, he has transformed into some sort of monster. A hideous serpent, a hideous, evil, cruel, serpent…there is nothing you can do."

Then she broke down and sobbed in his arms, wracking, gasping sobs that tore at Severus's very soul. He had had seen his mother cry like this once and his own father had been the cause. Something terrible had gone on between them too. At the time he wasn't old enough to know what exactly had happened but later he would come to find out the appalling truth. She had been brutally attacked by her own husband. A man who should have loved and protected her had raped her. Severus knew, without Bella speaking the words that was what transpired between her and Voldemort. What he didn't understand was why. Did this transformation turn into an even more deranged madman and he attacked for no reason or did she deny him because she was in love with another man? Was Lord Voldemort in love with her, was it more than just lust? Had it been a jealous rage? If so, Bella was in grave peril. Voldemort liked to make sure his punishments had the desired effect; he would be back to make sure she submitted the next time. The only thing he could think of was for them to run away, go to the States and disappear. But Bella protested when he presented the plan to her.

"But I can't leave my family and I don't really like Americans. There has to be another way"

The next two days passed without incident but on the third, the Dark Mark began to burn again. Though she knew it was useless to ignore it, she decided to do so anyway. Severus was reluctant to leave her alone but he needed potion ingredients and Bella finally convinced him to run and get them.

"I'll be fine Sev, I highly doubt the Dark Lord will venture out onto a muggle street in broad daylight" And he was finally persuaded to run to Diagon Alley.

But she was dead wrong and ten minutes after Severus left the door flew open with a crash and Lord Voldemort strode into the flat. Bella let out a shriek and tried to run.

"Stupefy!"

She fell to floor, unconscious.

"Envenerate"

Bella awoke on Severus's bed with Lord Voldemort sitting next to her holding her hand.

"I remember when you used to run _to_ me, not away from me. Why did you ignore me when my mark summoned you?" His new voice was heavy with disappointment.

She sat up; she wanted to put her hand to his face but could not bring herself to touch him. His hands still looked human though, just very thin and pale and she put her free hand over his.

"Master, I am so sorry"

He could feel her trembling and she radiated fear. Normally he fed on the fear of others, he thrived on it, and it brought him immense pleasure. But Bella's fear brought him no joy, only anger and pain. She was not allowed to be afraid of him.

"Bella, stop this childish, shallow behavior. Act like the Death Eater you are"

"Shallow?" She responded indignantly "You leave me as a human and come back as a snake and expect me to not find you frightening? Have you seen yourself?"

Voldemort stood up and walked over to the mirror that hung on the wall over Severus's dresser. He gazed at his reflection as he spoke "I have seen myself, Bella. Though I had an idea of what the end result would be, I admit, I was shocked when I saw myself for the first time. But sacrifices had to be made, looks are nothing when it comes to ultimate power"

He turned his piercing gaze back to back to Bella and walked back over to the bed.

"One thing I do not want to sacrifice is you, but I have a feeling I will have to won't I? I lost you long before I returned didn't I?"

She looked up and opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off.

"You are in love with him, aren't you? This mere boy has stolen your affection away from me. Do not deny it, you know it is futile to lie to me"

Bella lowered her eyes and stared at her hands folded in her lap.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her violently as he shouted "Answer me, girl! Do you love him?"

"Yes! I love him!" she screamed at him as tears ran down her face.

Voldemort flung her from him and she fell back on the bed. He pointed his wand at her forehead and she closed her eyes and waited for death. But death did not come, she opened her eyes just a peek, but he was gone. When Severus came home she told him to get a plan together.

"We have no choice now, I fear he will kill us both if we do not flee"

The next morning an elf rapped on the door. Bella recognized it immediately, it was Sneak and it served her own family.

"Please missus, you are to come with me, your father wants to see you right away"

The elf was tugging at her skirt "Right away missus!"

Bella smacked its hand away "All right! Just a minute" She turned back to Severus in the kitchen "My father's elf is here. I need to go to the house, I'll be back as soon as I can"

Severus frowned "I don't think you should go. What if it's some sort of trap?"

"Don't fret love, my father would not betray me. I'll be back quick as I can"

They arrived at the house and the elf walked her to the study.

"Mistress Bellatrix is here sir" the elf was cowering and even more nervous than usual. Bella noticed another man in the room. His back was to her looking out the window. It was the presence of this stranger that seemed to upset the servant.

"Leave us, elf. Bellatrix come in. We have much to discuss"

The man did not turn around and Bella finally just asked "Who the bloody hell is he and why is he here?"

Her father frowned at her language and lack of manners "Bella, it is time for you to grow up"

She folded her arms across her chest "Daddy, what do you want?"

"I want to introduce you to someone. A very important man who has your future in his best interest"

The man finally turned to face her. He was tall and powerfully built with long, chestnut hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. He was very handsome, dressed impeccably and appeared to be in his early thirties. There was something familiar about him, like she had met him before, maybe when he was younger.

"What does he have to do with my future? I don't need a job daddy, I already have one"

Her father snorted "A job? No daughter of mine needs to work. I'm talking about a family and more importantly, offspring. Pure-blooded progeny to carry on our traditions"

Bella looked confused and her father then made things crystal clear "I'm talking about marriage Bella, this man wants to marry you and I have given my blessing"

"WHAT!!!???" Bella yelled out in disbelief. "I don't even know him! Plus, I'm in love with another man!"

"I'm sorry Bella, this match is advantageous to both families. What is done is done. I think Rodolphus is perfect for you; he is handsome, rich and powerful. Just the type you usually prefer"

Bella gasped when her father spoke the name and began to back away "Oh god daddy, what have you done to me?"

Rodolphus closed in on her and smiled as he spoke "I know you will be the most beautiful bride, Mrs. Lestrange"

The room began to spin, Bella swayed, trying to keep her balance. She felt so sick and then she was falling. She didn't remember hitting the ground and awoke on the small love seat with Rodolphus kissing her neck. Her father was nowhere in sight.

"Get off of me" She cried as she hit and pushed him "Can you only get it up with women who are out cold? Bet you are into necrophilia too, you sick bastard!"

He laughed as he grabbed her by the throat "Don't fret my love, I will take great pleasure in taking you while you try and fight me off. I love a girl with passion and fight" He crushed his mouth to hers, biting her until she finally parted her lips and allowed his tongue to violate her. When he let go of her she sat up gasping and he licked his lips slowly "I can hardly wait to taste the rest of you, if I remember correctly, you were sweet as honey"

Bella jumped up "That will never happen! Never!"

She ran out of the house and apparated back to Severus.

"We have to leave, tonight"

They began to hastily pack, it was easy to hide in the U.S. and that was precisely where they planned to go.


	33. Almost Priceless

**Chapter 33**

**Almost Priceless**

Bella and Severus were at her loft grabbing the few items that she needed for their escape, time was of the essence. They were just heading for the door when it burst open. Rodolphus, his brother Rabastan, Ian McNair and her father all ran into the room. Lord Voldemort was the final member of the party to walk through the door. Bella and Severus had their wands drawn; they would not go down without a fight. Bella pleaded with her father "Daddy, please don't do this. Lestrange is a monster, I will not survive a marriage to him"

Her father shook his head "I'm sorry Bell, there is a signed agreement, magically binding"

Rodolphus took control of the situation, barking orders to the group "Do not harm the girl. She belongs to me now. Do as you wish to the boy"

Lord Voldemort held up a hand "The boy remains alive, bring him to me"

Bella looked into her master's eyes "I beg you, please let him go. I will go quietly

if you let him alone"

"No Bella! I will not let you become the property of that sick bastard!" Severus shouted.

"Stupefy!"

Severus deflected the spell, causing Rodolphus to duck. He laughed and nodded appreciatively "The boy knows how to play, this should be fun"

Bella screamed a spell at Rabastan and he was less adept at fighting and it hit him square in the chest. He flew backwards, knocking McNair to the ground in the process. Voldemort growled "She is highly skilled you fools! I trained her myself. It will take at least two of you to take her out"

There was much yelling and flashing as spells broke glass and furniture was being up ended. Though outnumbered, Bella and Severus were not easy to subdue and finally Voldemort himself had to square off against Bellatrix.

He had her cornered in a bedroom and she knew it was over for her. She pleaded with him one last time.

"Master, please don't kill Severus, please I beg you. If you ever cared for me, even a little, do this one thing for me and I will go quietly"

Voldemort looked at her defiant face, her cheeks flushed with the excitement of battle, he was sure she had never looked more beautiful. She had fought well and he was extremely proud of her. He had a sudden pang of regret. He had set the wheels in motion for this union. His jealousy had driven him to marry her off to a man she could never love. He put his hand to her cheek and she put her hand over his and closed her eyes.

"I will spare the boy, my beauty," he whispered. "Thank you" she whispered back before he quietly uttered "Stupefy" and she slumped into his arms. He carried her into the main room where they had finally stunned Severus. He kissed her cheek before he handed her to Rodolphus.

"You are not to ever harm her"

Voldemort now turned to her young lover lying unconscious on the floor. His first instinct was to kick him to death but he had promised Bella that he would be spared. He had other plans for Snape anyways. He was in need of spies to get close to Dumbledore and this boy would have no choice but to obey or he would tell him Rodolphus had free reign to torture Bella. He smiled; it was so amusing to twist love into a weapon for evil.

Rodolphus awoke Bella outside of a large stone manor house. She instinctively reached for her wand.

"I'm not a fool, I disarmed you, Bella"

It was pitch black outside but she tried to run anyway. The long gravel drive ran deep through the forest that surrounded the estate. She ran towards it as the clouds drifted to reveal a bright, full moon. The mournful baying of a wolf soon followed. Bella froze and she took a few steps back. Rodolphus came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"You might make it to the end of the drive in one piece, but the five mile walk down the lane to the village might be a little harder. They have an amazing sense of smell you know, werewolves do"

Another howl erupted into the still night, this one much closer. She shuddered and Rodolphus wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear "I could throw you out to them if I wanted but I won't, if you ask me not to"

Either way she would be at the mercy of a monster, she had to admit defeat for the moment.

"Can we please go inside, I'm cold"

He turned her around, put his hand on the back of her head and kissed her. She did not fight and she returned his kiss.

He smiled as he took her hand and led her towards the house "That's my good little girl. Now come, I want to show you your new home"

The tour consisted of the path that led to the huge master suite. The bedroom was enormous and it had the biggest bed Bella had ever seen in her life. The enormous carved wood canopy bed had heavy, red velvet hangings and you needed a small step stool to climb up on to it. It was so massive it could easily sleep four people with plenty of room to spare.

Rodolphus ran his hand down one of the huge posts "It came from a Tudor castle. Rumor has it that Henry the Eighth and Anne Boelyn made love in this bed"

This gave little comfort to Bella since everyone knew how that marriage turned out.

"Let me show you to your bath, I think you will be most pleased"

The bathroom was the most beautiful bath she had ever seen and that was saying something because her family was by no means poor. There was an enormous soaking tub sunken into the marble floor and ornate vanity with every possible item you could imagine needing to make yourself gorgeous. The room smelled of vanilla from dozens of scented candles that were lit.

"I will leave you to freshen up. Dinner is in two hours and I would like you to wear the dress that is hanging in your changing area" And with that he swept from the room.

Two hours later he was pleased to see Bella had obeyed and was ready for dinner. She was wearing the black silk gown he had picked out for her and her hair was in a loose knot on top of her head.

"You look beautiful, Bellatrix. Let's go down to dinner"

They ate in silence as course after course of the lavish feast was served. Finally, Bella could stand it no longer and blurted out,

"Doesn't this bother you? Eating in silence with a woman who feels nothing for you but loathing and disgust?"

Rodolphus sneered at her naiveté "No, it does not"

Bella stood up "I will never love you, I never feel anything for you but hate!"

He sat back and snarled, "Is that what you think this about? Love? This is not some sort of fairy tale, girl. I do not hope that over time you will grow to love me, I do not care what you feel for me, be it love or hate. This is about revenge and winning and possessing something that even the Dark Lord himself was unable to control. You are my pretty little prize to be flaunted for all to see. I own Bellatrix Black, I win. I outbid and outwitted a dozen other men to have you. Plus it didn't hurt that the Dark Lord himself blessed this union "

Bella picked up her wine glass and flung it at him. He blocked it with his arm and glass shattered all over the table. Rodolphus threw back his head with cruel laughter. "Obviously you were unaware that your own father had you for sale to the highest bidder. You would think such a pretty girl would not have been so difficult to marry off"

Everything that was within reach she began to throw at him as she screamed "You liar!" And then she ran. Out the front door and into the night, she would rather have her throat ripped out by a werewolf than stay with Rodolphus for another minute. She ran down the drive as fast as she could but in dainty stilettos it proved to be a difficult task and Rodolphus was hot on her heels. She scooped up a handful of gravel and whipped it at his face but it was not enough to slow him down and he tackled her, knocking her to the ground. The tiny rocks tore into her palms as she tried to catch herself and she screamed as loud as she could. Maybe a wolf would kill them both. Rodolphus put his hand over her mouth but she managed to bite it and he let go. She was flailing her arms and kicking at him, he was stunned that he was having so much trouble controlling this woman who weighed no more than a sack of potatoes.

"Stop that!" he yelled as she flung another handful of gravel at his face, this time hitting him at a very close range. He finally was able to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder but she would not give up. She began to pinch his back as hard as she could.

"Ouch! You damn harpy!" and he slapped the back of her thigh as hard as he could making her scream and pinch him again. It took nearly twenty minutes for him to finally get her back up to the bedroom. He tossed her up onto the bed and panted, trying to catch his breath. He was sure wrestling a Bengal tiger would have been easier. Suddenly a heavy pillow hit him, catching him off guard and knocking him backwards. Bella was standing up on the bed laughing at him. He began to wonder if she was had some mental issues that her father failed to disclose, no one ever put up this much fight and certainly no one dared laugh at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you woman?"

Bella began to jump on the bed a little as she taunted him "I thought you said it was all about winning? Well, I hate to lose just as much as you do" She then lost her balance and fell on her back laughing hysterically. In a flash he was on top of her "Whose the winner now?"

Bella smiled and spat out, "You think you are man enough for me? There were nights when Lord Voldemort could barely handle me. You had trouble even getting me into the bed"

"I'll show you how much of a man I am" and he kissed her hard. Bella grabbed his hair and kissed him back just as hard. But Rodolphus liked it rough, even rougher than Bella and he went at her like a savage beast. Several times she screamed out in pain and it just spurned him on. She was helpless against him in the long run; he eventually would always be able to over power her when it came down to a physical confrontation without wands.

Rodolphus awoke the next morning and was startled at first by the sight of a woman in his bed. He never let women stay overnight, smeared make-up and tangled hair was not what he liked to see first thing in the morning. For a brief moment he had forgotten that he had claimed his prize the day before. Bella was asleep facing him, her one arm tucked under her pillow. She wore no make-up to smear and her hair, while tousled, still fell on the satin pillow like strands of black silk. He pondered his fiancé. She was even prettier than when he first met her that night in Hogsmeade, more mature and definitely more powerful. He ran his finger along her bottom lip and she opened her mouth slightly. She was a sensuous creature and she was all his. That was if he could break her will and make her submit to him. He slipped his finger between her parted lips and they closed around it. As he slowly slid his finger from her warm mouth, he had a sudden desire to kiss her. Gently he put his lips to hers and her response took him by surprise. She moaned quietly and put her hand on his cheek. It was the softest, most sensuous kiss he had ever enjoyed. He put his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. She put her leg over his thigh and pulled him inside of her. Now it was his turn to moan. Even in her sleep, she was skilled in the art of pleasuring a man and he now realized why Voldemort had chosen her as his favorite. He vowed, as she slowly made love to him, that he would make her forget any man who had come before him. He ran his fingers through her hair while he looked at her beautiful face. Her eyes were closed and he knew she thought she was with the man she loved but he was sure, in time, she would forget all about him. She had no choice.

Bella ran her hand down his arm and something in her subconscious was beginning to stir. Severus's arms were not this big and the cologne was not a familiar smell. She opened her eyes and it was not Severus's dark eyes that looked back at her but Rodolphus's icy blue ones. Reality came flooding back to her in a crushing wave, Severus was gone and she was in the clutches of a man that was the very definition of cruelty. She tried to pull away but Rodolphus had no intention of stopping until he was satisfied. Bella closed her eyes and mercifully it was over quickly. As soon as he let go of her she jumped out of the bed and headed for the bath. But all of the hot water and soap in the world could not wash away the pain and humiliation that had been bestowed upon her in the last few hours. After about an hour, Rodolphus walked in.

"Hurry up, it's time for breakfast"

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking? And anyway, I'm not hungry" Bella scooted around so her back was to him. He knelt down next to the tub.

"Sooner or later, you will have to give in Bella"

She replied by making a very rude hand gesture and Rodolphus huffed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

The next two weeks preceded in much the same manner. Bella screamed, kicked, swore and bitched every moment that Rodolphus was around her. She got a huge delight out of throwing and breaking everything and anything she could get her hands on. Bella was showing no sign of submission but her fiancée was showing no signs of giving up either. He had set a date for the wedding and was planning on an elaborate, lavish event. And the most important item he needed to showcase his beautiful prize was the perfect gown. Before Bella even had the chance to throw her breakfast at him he informed her that they were going to London.

"Why are we going to London? Are you taking me back to my old life? Are you letting me go?" She asked hopefully.

Rodolphus laughed in her face "Far from it my dear little girl. We are buying your wedding gown today"

He ducked, and sure enough, Bella's plate came hurtling in his direction, as she screamed, "NO NO! NO! I will never be your wife!"

Rodolphus sat back up "We won't be eating lunch until after the fitting so I don't want to hear any complaining that you are hungry" And then he quietly finished his breakfast. It had become kind of a habit that Bella's meal would eventually end up flying across the room and he was quite used to it by now.

Within the hour they were in London at an exclusive shop that specialized in exquisite, expensive bridal gowns. Rodolphus looked over the selections and finally picked out the one he wanted her to put on. Bella scowled as she was escorted to the fitting room and the dress was magically tailored to fit her perfectly. As she reappeared, Rodolphus could not help but gasp. The dress was an eggshell shantung silk, A-line cut and accented her shapely figure divinely. Her hair was partially up and she wore a long tulle veil held in place by a delicate diamond tiara. He walked up to her, took her arm and led her to the mirror.

"Look at us together Bellatrix, we are made for each other"

Bella gazed at their reflection. They indeed made a handsome couple but it brought no joy to her heart, the realization that she was really going to marry this horrible man hit her like a well-placed Crucio.

"How much did you pay?" she whispered as she continued to stare at the mirror.

"I haven't bought it yet" He thought she was talking about the dress.

Bella pulled out of his grasp and hissed "No stupid, you said my father sold me to the highest bidder, so how much was I worth?"

"Ah, I see. Well, I have to admit it was a bit more than I had thought, I had a fair amount of competition" He said it like she should feel flattered.

She was not.

"How much? 20,000 galleons? Whatever it was, I'll double it if you let me go"

Rodolphus considered her for a moment before he replied quietly, "You would need a lot more than 40,000 galleons my love"

Bella frowned "Don't be greedy, no man would be stupid enough to fork over more than that to marry me"

It was now Rodolphus's turn to frown "Then I must be insanely stupid because I paid more than ten times that amount"

The color drained from Bella's face, it was all too much. The greed of her father and his mania for pure-blooded grandchildren, the lengths that Rodolphus had gone to to get her in his iron grasp, Lord Voldemort forsaking her, so much time and money spent to ruin her life. She knew she was never going to see Severus again; she was never going to be free again.

The wedding took place a month later at Rodolphus's estate. Bella's eyes scanned the crowd of nearly 300 as she stood at the alter waiting to say her vows. Lord Voldemort was nowhere to be seen, which meant he was not going to put a stop to what he had started. Her father merely stared straight ahead, not even looking at his daughter.

"If anyone here has reason that these two shall not be joined, speak now or forever hold your peace"

Dead silence, not even a sniffle or a cough.

"Do you, Bellatrix Branwen Black, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

She hesitated, sure someone would shout out "Stop!" Rodolphus took her hand and gave it a warning squeeze. She closed her eyes and a tear ran down her cheek as she whispered, "I do"

Minutes later she was being kissed by her new husband.


	34. Shattered

**Chapter 34**

**Shattered**

It was nearly 2:00 a.m. by the time the last guest left the reception and Bella was exhausted. Rodolphus had reveled in showing off his pretty young bride, not letting her leave his side for most of the party. Finally they made their way upstairs and Bella flopped down into a chair as Rodolphus began to undress.

He stopped as he pulled his belt from his trousers. "Well, get on with it, can't consummate a marriage with that big dress on"

She looked up at him and shook her head "You are an even bigger idiot than I thought if you think I'm going to sleep with you tonight"

Rodolphus put his hands on the arms of the chair and leaned down in her face.

"You are my wife now and you will do as you're told. Now shut up that bitchy, little mouth of yours and get undressed"

Bella, fueled by anger and quite a bit of champagne, spit right in his face as her reply. This was not a wise move as Rodolphus was also quite drunk and was in no mood to put up with her attitude. His hand shot out and smacked her hard across the mouth. She cried out and put her hand up to her bleeding lip.

"So, now that I'm your wife, you think it's acceptable to beat me if I disagree with you?"

Rodolphus smiled "You're not as stupid as you look. Now get up"

When she refused to budge, he grabbed the front of her gown and yanked her to her feet. She punched him in the jaw but it only infuriated him more and he backhanded her so hard she fell to the ground. Her new husband stood over her shaking his head.

"I thought you understood how this was going to work but I guess not. You are just a spoiled, stupid whore after all"

"Fuck you!" Bella screeched "Wait till my father hears about this!"

Rodolphus threw his head back and laughed heartily "Your father could care less if I beat you. If he cared about you he would have never let me near you. The same thing goes for the Dark Lord. You were just a passing fancy, a pretty little sex toy to amuse him until another came along"

Furious tears began to roll down her cheeks as she cried, "You are a filthy liar. I hate you and hope you die a horrible death. And I hope I am the cause of that horrible death!"

Rodolphus picked up his sobbing wife and threw her onto the bed face down. He ripped open her dress, sending tiny pearl buttons flying in all directions. He managed to get the dress off of her but that left her more able to kick him and that's just what she did. Bella sank the heel of her dainty wedding shoe right into her wretched husband's thigh, causing him to roar in pain. Bella took the opportunity to jump off of the bed and she ran for her bathroom in the hopes that she could lock him out. She had the door almost closed when Rodolphus came crashing in. She tried to run but he grabbed her by the hair, pushed her to the floor and sat on her. He pinned her arms up above her head with one hand and the other he put around her throat. He was breathing hard, trying to get control of his fury.

"I swear to God girl, I will kill you if I can't control you" His grip on her throat tightened. Bella stopped struggling, she was terrified. Never in her life had she seen such a sincere look of murderous determination, she truly believed he would kill her.

"Please, stop" she gasped, barely able to draw a breath to speak.

Rodolphus's grip loosened slightly as he slowly came to a reasonable level of sanity. Finally he let go of Bella and got up.

"Get up and get in bed, now" His threatening tone let her know his patience had well exceeded its limits. She got up rubbing her neck and walked towards the bed. Rodolphus pushed her against one of the enormous posts and began to kiss her, she tried to push him away but he was determined to get what he wanted. The sky was just beginning to show the pink glow of dawn by the time Rodolphus finally passed out. Bella rolled over to the far edge of the bed and curled up clutching her pillow. All of this seemed surreal, like a horrendous nightmare. But the pain let her know that it was no dream, this was reality and she didn't know what to do to change it. She buried her face into her pillow, trying to muffle the despair she could no longer hold onto. She had lost everything that she held dear to her in one fell swoop. And without a wand, she had no way to defend herself, no hope of an escape.

A month after the wedding little had changed. Bella was still fighting Rodolphus at every turn but it was to no avail. Rodolphus was not a man who gave up easily and he was determined to make Bella an obedient wife and an even more obedient mother to his pure-blooded progeny. It was this desire for an heir that he felt justified his nightly assaults on his uncooperative wife. As each week passed Bella fought back a little less and he was sure that soon enough she would resign herself to life with him. Eventually, she would be the wife he wanted her to be, pretty, submissive and loyal. Until then he would just try to keep from killing her. He knew that was going to be the most difficult challenge of all.

Bella was sitting on the sofa reading a book with her feet, complete with highly polished boots, propped up on the inlaid wood coffee table. Rodolphus came home from whatever business had him in London that day and was in a purely foul temper.

"Get your damn feet off the table" He growled as he walked over to pour himself a drink.

Bella ignored him completely.

He walked over and kicked her feet off the table "I said put your feet down, you miserable cow"

Bella slowly got up and walked over to the cart with the decanters of fine liquor and picked up her husbands favorite single-malt scotch. She pulled the crystal stopper out and, with a wicked smile gracing her lovely lips; she turned it upside down and began to pour the contents all over the gorgeous oriental carpet. Rodolphus was frozen in horror for a few seconds at what he was witnessing.

"What the bloody hell are you doing? That's fifty year old single-malt, you stupid bitch!"

Bella raised an eyebrow and then raised her hand in her favorite one finger salute. She knew she had infuriated him and hadn't even needed to speak a single word. She was just silently congratulating herself when Rodolphus pulled out his wand and roared,

"Rictus Sempra!"

Bella flew backwards off of her feet and, with a scream, crashed through the huge window that was behind her. She landed flat on her back on a bed shattered glass and broken wood. It was a lucky thing that they were on the first floor or she may not have survived the initial fall. Rodolphus ran and leapt out of the broken sash fearing that he had killed his new bride. He had not meant to cast such a powerful spell. He knelt down beside her and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw she was trying to talk.

"Shh Bell, I'm so sorry, don't move I'm sending for a Medi-wizard"

And with a flick of his wand he sent word for a healer. Bella reached out, her hand was covered in blood. She was trying to say something. He took her hand in his and she gasped the words that would haunt Rodolphus for years to come.

"I'm pregnant; if I die your baby dies with me"

The healer arrived within minutes but it was too late, an hour later he gave Rodolphus his prognosis.

"Your wife is recovering nicely but I'm afraid that significant damage was done. I was unable to save the baby and I think it unlikely that she will ever be able to bear children. I'm sorry"

Rodolphus nodded silently and then went into the bedroom to see his wife. Bella's skin was so white in contrast to her dark hair that she looked like a porcelain doll lying in the huge bed. She seemed to sense his presence and opened her eyes slightly.

"Come to finish the job?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have laid a finger on you if I had known"

Bella just closed her eyes "You should have never laid a finger on me ever"

She felt his hand gently on her cheek and opened her eyes again. She was shocked to see a tear rolling down his cheek.

"I'm so sorry Bella, I would have never hurt any of our children, I swear it"

Bella closed her eyes again and drifted off to sleep only to be awoken a few hours later by screaming. It was Rodolphus and it sounded like he was being tortured. She jumped up out of bed, looked around for a weapon and realized he had left his wand on her bedside table. She grabbed it up and ran down stairs, sure that they were under siege by Aurors from the Ministry of Magic. She skidded into the room and screamed a spell "Stupefy!" only to yank the wand upwards at the last minute.

"Master! I'm so sorry! I thought we were being attacked by the Ministry! Are you alright?"

The spell had just ruffled the sleeves of his robes and he turned and stared at the girl he had not seen in what seemed like an eternity. The moonlight streaming through the newly repaired window illuminated her figure; her white nightgown was almost transparent, revealing every curve of her beautiful form. Rodolphus, still lying on the floor trying to catch his breath, saw his master staring at his wife with a longing that sent chills down his spine. He was sure that he was a dead man. Bella, in the mean time, was trying to take in the scene before her but having jumped up out of bed after losing so much blood she was feeling a bit light-headed. She began to sway and Lord Voldemort ran forward and caught her in his arms before she hit the floor. He laid her carefully on the sofa and then rounded on Rodolphus.  
"She ran down here to protect you, after all you have done to her, she was still loyal to you, or at least loyal to what you stand for. She should have let you die"

Rodolphus knew he was right, Bella had shown him loyalty when he deserved none. He had been a fool to think he could possess a woman that had been the favored one by the Dark Master. And it was obvious that he still favored her, the tenderness he had shown her was in sharp contrast to the viciousness that he had just bestowed on her husband. As the Dark Lord turned his attention back to Bella, it became apparent to Rodolphus that she was more than a sexual conquest to Voldemort; he was in love with her. The way the expression on his face softened when she came in the room, the way he stroked her hair as he whispered in her ear gave away his true feelings. He noticed his wand was still in Bella's hand and Voldemort had not put his away either, the situation looked very bleak indeed.

"Bella, my beauty, I had no idea he would dare hurt you. I assumed he was not foolish enough to ignore my warning that you were not be harmed"

Bella slipped her arms around his neck and embraced him. Voldemort felt her warm cheek press against his cold face; he held her close, not wanting to ever let her go.

"I thought you had forgotten me" She sobbed quietly.

"I could never forget you, my beauty. I was so angry with you that I tried, but my memories of you would not fade. I saw your face whenever I closed my eyes, heard your voice whenever the wind blew, felt your touch as I dreamed. I am a hollow shell of a man without you"

Bella pulled back and looked into the face that, at one time, had frightened her. Now it gave her great comfort and she looked into his eyes as she spoke.

"I never meant to hurt you, Master. Please believe me when I say that"

She softly pressed her lips to his and kissed him for the first time in more than two months.

"I love you" she whispered.

Voldemort ran his finger gently down her cheek, touching her was the only thing that made him remember what it was like to be human. He could not fathom how Rodolphus could not love her, could not be intoxicated by her very essence.

"My Bella, my beautiful Bella, you have no idea what you have brought to my life"

He wanted to tell her that he loved her as well, but it was not the right place or time. He had certain tasks that he needed completed before he could take her away from Rodolphus. He needed Rodolphus to protect her from his enemies within the Ministry.

"My beauty, I need you to stay here for a while longer. My enemies are becoming more active and you will be safer here"

Bella protested "But Master, I can help you. I can fight!"

"NO!" His voice was sterner than he meant and Bella jumped in surprise. He grabbed her hand and his voice softened; "I won't risk your safety, you are too important to me" He turned to face Rodolphus who had been watching with great trepidation.

"You will keep her safe for me. If I see one mark, if she sheds a single tear, I will know about it and you will pay dearly. The only reason you are not already dead is because I know you have the ability to fight even the most powerful Auror. Do not disappoint me again, Rodolphus"

Rodolphus bowed to his master, "Yes my lord, I will not fail you again"

Voldemort narrowed his cruel red eyes "If you do, to say that the consequences will be severe would be a grave understatement. Remember; be on your guard Rodolphus, the Ministry has intensified its efforts to discourage my supporters and you and Bella are prime targets. I will keep you apprised of the situation as it progresses. Now, I suggest you get your wife back to her bed"

He then picked up Bella and whispered in her ear, "I will see you soon, my beauty" and then he put her in her husband's arms. As Rodolphus began to ascend the grand staircase, Voldemort shouted up to him.

"And you are to return her wand to her immediately!"

Bella smiled and put her arms around Rodolphus's neck.

"Oh, we are going to have some real fun now, dear husband"


	35. Revelations & Revolution

**Chapter 35**

**Revelations and Revolution**

Rodolphus lay in bed mulling over the days events. Things had certainly changed since yesterday at this same time. His wife was now the one with the power and he was in the crosshairs of Lord Voldemort. Not an enviable position at all. If only that Healer had kept his damn mouth shut. Rodolphus made a mental note that the man needed to have a tragic accident in the very near future. He rolled over and looked at Bella. She was in a deep slumber, obviously dreaming of something good since she had a faint smile on her lips. _Dreaming of the Dark Lord taking her away from me _he thought bitterly. _Damn him to hell, he gave her to me and now he wants her back_. But Rodolphus was not keen to give up what he felt was rightfully his; she would never be in another's bed if he had his way.

He glanced over at her wand, which was now on her bedside table, things were definitely going to be interesting.

Bella was trying to suppress her laughter as she slyly flicked her wand. A moment later, a velvet throw pillow hurled itself at Rodolphus's head. He calmly looked up from his _Daily Prophet _and, with a flick of his own wand; Bella's chair tipped forward and she tumbled onto the hearthrug, laughing hysterically. Rodolphus came and stood over her as she tried futilely to subdue her laughter.

He smacked his wand in the palm of his hand, "You are such a naughty little girl, I think you need to be disciplined"

Her laughter turned to a wicked smile as she rolled onto her back, put her hands above her head and cooed,

"I'm at your mercy, do with me what you will"

Rodolphus sat on her, straddling her waist. He slowly slid his hands up her arms until he was pinning her wrists to the floor. He just brushed her lips with his and she craned her neck, wanting more. He pulled away, whispering,

"I don't think so"

Bella whimpered slightly "Please kiss me" She was wriggling, trying to free her hands from his grasp.

Once they had decided to stop trying to kill each other, Bella and Rodolphus had come to realize that they actually had quite a bit in common. Both were unforgivably cruel, fiercely dedicated to the pureblood cause and both had insatiable appetites for physical pleasure.

"That sounds an awful lot like begging to me," Rodolphus teased as he gently kissed her neck.

As he moved his lips down towards her cleavage, Bella moaned. His rough stubble against her soft skin heightened her desire and she arched her back, urging him on. They didn't even bother to go upstairs, their lust so overwhelming that they made love on the floor, bathed in the flickering light of the fire. Hours later, as they lay exhausted in each other's arms, Rodolphus smiled to himself. Bella was at long last starting to fall under his spell and it had nothing to do with magic. He had the ability to be charming and romantic but it had been so long since had needed those skills he had almost forgotten how effective they could be. It had taken a while but his persistence and eye for opportunity was finally paying off.

It had only been about week after Bella's trip through the window that Narcissa announced that, at long last, she was expecting a child. And though Bella had been very happy about the news, Rodolphus was surprised to find her crying a few days later. The loss of her own baby had affected her more profoundly than either one of them realized. Rodolphus saw this as an opening to show his wife that he was capable of compassion towards her and, in her vulnerable state, she welcomed it. He had held her in his arms until she cried herself to sleep. She had awoken the next morning to breakfast in bed and a husband who, for the first time in his life, felt deep regret. But there was another feeling that drove him even more. It was lust. That first morning that he woke up to her in his bed she had kissed him in her sleep. A sensuous kiss, full of heat and desire, a kiss like no other he had experienced before. It was the longing for that kiss, and what went with it that made Rodolphus work so hard to win the affection of his distant wife. After weeks of romantic dinners, expensive jewelry and beautiful clothes, it turned out to be an unexpected moment that brought the reward that he so desperately sought.

Bella had been sitting on the floor of their bedroom in front of the fire. She was staring silently into the flames hoping to see the face of her Master. Rodolphus sighed quietly to himself, how could he expect to compete with a man whose scope of power was limitless? The man that had been in Bella's life since she was a mere child; made her the woman she was today. As he turned to leave her alone, Bella broke her silence.

"Do we have any more of that wine left that we had with dinner tonight?"

Rodolphus stopped "Yes, would you like me to bring you a bottle?"

Bella turned and her husband could see the loneliness in her eyes, "Will you share it with me?"

He gave her a warm smile "Of course, I would like nothing more. Be right back"

When he returned, he sat down beside her and poured the wine. They sat in silence for several minutes and then Bella muttered bitterly.

"Why do all the men in my life abandon me?"

Rodolphus took a deep drink from his glass before he answered her.

"I don't know Bell, maybe they think you are so strong that you don't need them as much as they need you. Maybe you make them feel too vulnerable. Or maybe they are all fools and don't really know you at all"

"Lord Voldemort knows me. He knows me better than any man ever has" She replied.

Rodolphus glared into the flames, as if daring his Master to appear and defend himself.

"The Dark Lord fears you Bellatrix, you are his weakness"

Bella gasped, "The Dark Lord fears no one, especially not me!"

He put his hand to her cheek "My dear, beautiful little girl, you are so intertwined with him that you do not even see it. He loves you Bella, probably from the first moment he laid eyes on you. You have power over him and he fears that. Fears it so much that he gave you to me, sure that I was incapable of loving you, sure that I could yield a power over you that he could not"

Bella shook her head, "No, he does not fear me, he can't" Her voice broke "Why can't he just love me, why?"

It was at that moment that he knew, knew that he falling in love with this woman that he had tried so hard to despise. He knew because it nearly broke his cold, pitiless heart to see her cry over a man that didn't deserve her. Rodolphus took her face in his hands and looked deep into her tear-filled eyes.

"Because he is not capable of that kind of humanity, he never will be. He will always be just beyond your reach. He is a coward. Not willing to take the risk of loving you completely. I am more than willing to take that risk"

"He will kill you, Rodolphus," she whispered.

"I don't care" was his reply as he kissed her with just a gentle caress of his lips. She pulled back slightly, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Why are you doing this? Why now?"

He took the wine glass from her hand, set it aside and held her left hand in his. The firelight made her diamond wedding rings come to life, sending glittering rainbows dancing around the room.

"You are my wife and I want to be your husband. You are too young and beautiful to pine away for a man that will never be able to fulfill your every desire"

Bella looked back into the fire. She knew Rodolphus spoke the truth. Lord Voldemort could never be the kind of man she needed but she wasn't sure if Rodolphus could be either.

"Do you even know what I desire, Rodolphus?"

He looked her straight on and replied, "You desire my undivided attention, my devotion, my companionship, my passion, my love, my soul"

Before she could reply he leaned in and kissed her again. This time she did not pull back but parted her lips and drew him in. There was a part of her that wanted to resist, to continue to hate him, but it was so hard to say no to a man that had such passion, such unbridled desire. Plus, it didn't hurt that he was so incredibly handsome. She ran her hands up his chest and around his neck, pulling him closer. It was the kiss he had been longing for. Bella was surrendering herself to him and it was extraordinary. Rodolphus had never had any sort of emotional attachment to a woman before and was nearly overwhelmed by his desire to pleasure her. A terrible thought was creeping to the forefront of his mind, what if he wasn't a good lover? It had never occurred to him that he would ever need to please a woman sexually, it was their job to please him and that should have been good enough. Now, with this beautiful, young girl in his arms, he wanted nothing more that to give her what she wanted; what she needed. His fears were soon put to rest as Bella was quite skilled at getting what she wanted from a man and she was pleasantly surprised that he was more than willing to take her direction. Hours later, both lay exhausted, but energized at the same time. If there was such a thing as sexual soul mates, they had found each other. And thus, their relationship had found a common ground on which they could build upon.

In the next several months as Bella and Rodolphus continued explore all that marriage had to offer, other more sinister events were beginning to unfold. The Ministry had upped the ante in its hunt for Voldemort and his sympathizers. Raids were becoming more frequent and many Aurors were just as vicious as the Death Eaters they sought. Bella could tell Rodolphus was worried and that, in turn, made her very nervous.

"Rodolphus, you are so late. I was starting to get worried, is everything alright?"

He had just come home at nearly 11:30 at night and looked as if he had been in a fight.

"No Bell, everything is far from alright" He sighed as he poured himself a very large scotch. "Aurors are everywhere, a damn bloody nuisance they are"

When he sat down, she laid her head in his lap and he began to stroke her hair. For some reason this always soothed him, running his fingers through her soft tresses. Bella closed her eyes and waited until she could feel the tension in his body subside. Once he had relaxed somewhat she dared speak her mind.

"You need my help. The Dark Lord must know, just as well as you do, that I am wasted just sitting in this house. Let me come with you, let me fight by your side" Bella sat up and gave him that look of staunch determination that told him it was useless to say no.

"If that is what you wish love, but be warned, it is dangerous. More dangerous than it has ever been"

Bella took his hand and put it to her lips, kissing it softly "I'm not afraid of a little danger darling. I'm married to you after all"

Rodolphus chuckled "That's true. Now come up here and give us a kiss"

Bella giggled as she sat up, climbed onto his lap and pulled the black ribbon that held his hair back in its sleek ponytail. She loved his long hair. Actually, she loved many things about her husband. He had changed so much; it was hard to believe that he was the same man that had nearly killed her a few months ago. She loved to curl up in his lap and feel his strong arms around her, loved the way he would gaze at her affectionately when he thought she wasn't looking. She was couldn't help herself, she was falling in love with him and she knew he was in love with her. She could always tell by the way a man kissed her. A kiss fueled by love was different than one fueled by lust alone.

The opportunity to fight came sooner than she had expected. The next night Rodolphus came running into the library and grabbed her hand.

"Come on! Do you have your wand?"

Bella nodded and they disapparated on the spot.

When they arrived at their destination, Bella was shocked to see they were outside of the Dolohov's house. The front door was swinging backing forth in its frame, dangling by a single hinge and a large picture window was broken out. They were too late.

"Oh God, Lizzie!" Bella cried out as she ran towards the house. Once inside it was even more obvious that a serious battle had played out. Burn marks scorched the walls where deflected spells had ricocheted, paintings in broken frames lay trampled on the floor and the air was electric with spent magic. McNair met her in the hallway.

"Bella wait! Don't go in there" He tried to grab her arm but she jerked away yelling, "Get off!"

As she walked through the doorway to the dining room she stopped dead in her tracks. Antonin was on his knees cradling his wife. She was covered in blood; her eyes open in a blank stare. Antonin looked up from his grief and Bella could see that Lizzie's throat had been slashed by a broken piece of glass that now lay on the floor next to them. This was not happening, not to Lizzie. Bella wanted to scream but no sound escaped her lips, she was paralyzed by shock and anger. She knelt down in front of them and pushed a lock of Lizzie's hair back into place. Her hair was always in a perfect bob, always.

"What am I going to do without her, Bella?" Antonin sobbed, "She was my whole life"

"Who did this Antonin, Who?"

"Fabian Prewett murdered my wife in cold blood"

Bella nodded, still too stunned to even cry yet. "He will pay"

Antonin grabbed her arm and growled, "He is mine, Bella. Promise me that you will leave him to me"

"I promise," She vowed.

Lizzie's family had come that evening for her body and to make tentative funeral arrangements while Antonin's father had arrived to console his son. It was nearly dawn by the time Rodolphus and Bella finally headed for home. Bella began to undress and as she slowly unbuttoned her robes she noticed Lizzie's dried blood on her hand. Lizzie, who never cursed a living soul, never was a Death Eater, whose only crime was falling in love with one, was dead. Rodolphus, who had been watching Bella, pulled her into his arms. Tears came slowly at first but soon turned to gasping, desperate sobs as she mourned her childhood friend. Hours later, after Bella had finally fallen into a fitful sleep, Rodolphus lay awake. It was apparent to him that the Ministry was taking a harder line on its eradication of Voldemort and his followers. He also knew that Bella and himself were bound to be prime targets. Antonin had a well-protected house but was still attacked. This made Rodolphus very uneasy. Could they be next? He shuddered at the thought of coming home and finding Bella murdered. He curled up next to her and vowed to do all that was in his power to keep her safe from harm.

The funeral of Lizzie Dolohov was held in an ancient church in Cumbria. St.Peters in Heysham village is a small Saxon church first consecrated in the year 976 complete with a cemetery full of intricately carved Celtic headstones, some dating back to the Viking settlers. Bella stood on the site of the ancient burials that overlooked the sea, silently pleading for solace. She had hoped that the spirits of wizards and warriors long gone would give her the strength to face what lay ahead of her. Not just the funeral, but also the fight for power that she had been training for nearly half of her life. The salty air whipped her black hair back from her face as she walked towards the edge of the steep cliff. Tumultuous waves crashed against the rocks below with a brutal fury. Bella knelt down, picked up a handful of pebbles and tossed them over the edge, watching as the unforgiving sea devoured them. Suddenly someone grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards. It was Lord Voldemort. If Bella thought she had been given a fright, it was nothing compared to the look on her master's face.

"I wasn't going to jump" she assured him.

"Of course you weren't, I was just worried you might lose your footing, that's all" Voldemort lied unconvincingly.

Bella smiled affectionately at him for a brief moment and then threw herself into his arms and began to sob.

"Lizzie's gone and she never hurt a soul, it's not fair"

He held her small, shaking frame close as she shared her sorrow with him, trying to soothe her with promises of revenge.

"My beauty, they will all pay. As a matter of fact, you will help me bring down one of the blood traitors who is pivotal in the war against us. We will show no mercy to those that dare defy us"

Bella sniffed and looked up at her Master.

"I have no mercy left in my heart for any of them"


	36. The Beginning of the End

**Chapter 36**

With the funeral behind her, Bella was free to focus on her plans for revenge. Voldemort had given her an avenue that she hoped would help bring down one of the Ministry's top men. Bartemius Crouch had raised the stakes in the struggle for power and the result was an escalation of violence on both sides. Bella was now on her way to meet a young man that could be key to bringing Crouch to his knees.

The Spellbound Café in Knockturn Alley sounded like a nice enough place when you heard its name but, like looks, names can be deceiving. Actually, the café was dark and dingy, with worn, rickety wood furniture and a rather startling rat infestation. Bella could not believe that anyone would dare to eat food prepared in such a filthy environment. She looked around and easily spotted the person she sought. Neatly dressed with light blond hair, the young man stood out like a beacon in the grimy café. Bella approached the boy who looked to be no older than about seventeen.

"Hello, I assume you are Barty?"

The boy tilted his head upwards and smiled. He looked angelic and devious at the same time, his eyes giving away the evil within.

"The infamous Bellatrix Lestrange, I must say, you are even more beautiful than your wanted posters"

She raised an eyebrow as she pulled out one of the spindly chairs and sat down across from him.

"Flattery will get you nowhere. Talent is what impresses me, Crouch."

He leaned, tipping his chair back and gave her a smug grin, "Oh I have talent, more than my father could ever dream of having"

Bella remained expressionless at his boasting.

"Actions speak louder than words, boy. You will need to prove you are worthy and most of all, loyal"

Bartemius Crouch Jr. brought the front legs of his chair back to the floor with such force Bella was surprised it didn't shatter underneath him. He spoke in a low, dangerous tone.

"My loyalty will be unwavering and unquestionable. I may even replace _you_ as the favored one"

Bella gave him a smile that would make even the most seasoned Death Eater cower in trepidation. She leaned forward and spoke in a seething whisper.

"Unless the Dark Lord has homosexual tendencies that I am unaware of, you will never replace _me." _

"Forgive me, mistress. I meant no disrespect" He bowed his head in a very feeble display of sincerity. Bella had little patience for posturing little gits and told him so.

"Shut up and listen, I don't have time to waste with big talk, I need to see proof. The Dark Lord wants you to come to Dark Horizons and train with Rodolphus and I on weekends until you are finished with school. Here is where you are to apparate to, one of us will meet you and bring you to the house."

Barty looked at her with a bit of a pout playing about his lips and finally replied.

"Fine, I'll be there. You know, you don't have a very good sense of humor"

Bella stood up and laughed at the young man, "Oh I'm a bundle of joy compared to Lord Voldemort. Use that little attitude with him and see what kind of sense of humor _he_ has"

And with that she strolled out of the café and down the street, leaving the young man to ponder his first encounter with an inner circle Death Eater.

Bellatrix knew of yet another young man who might also have aspirations of becoming a Death Eater, her cousin, Regulus Black. Regulus had the pureblood spirit, but she was not sure if he was really cut out to be a full fledged Death Eater. She had gone to Twelve Grimmauld Place to talk with him. Kreacher answered the door and bowed submissively when he saw Bella.

"Missus Bellatrix, it has been so long since you visit us. You is all grown and a married lady now"

Bella giggled and gave the elf a playful pat on the head.

"Kreacher, I may be grown, but I'm far from a lady. Now, where's Reggie? Lazing about somewhere I suppose"

Kreacher straightened up and frowned, "young master _is_ lazy, no ambition to help his family line"

"Well, my long-snouted elf, I am here to change that. I'm going to train his lazy arse to be a servant for the Dark Lord"

She could have sworn that the elf let loose with a little snort of laughter.

"I know, it's a daunting task, but it's the least I can do for aunt and uncle. I mean who else have they got, now that Sirius has turned his back on them, the little blood traitor. Now stop that snickering and show me to the parlor like a proper elf" Bella chided the elf in mock seriousness.

In the parlor Regulus was lounging on a sofa reading a magazine, he sat up as Bella walked in.

"Well, if it isn't Mrs. Lestrange! Whoring days are over then?" he raised an eyebrow "Or are they?" His sordid tone was cut short as Bella smacked him on the side of his head for a response.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" Regulus cried, rubbing his ear.

"You know what it was for you stupid prat, now stop whining. Rumor has it that you want to join Lord Voldemort, do you?"

Regulus looked a bit apprehensive as he replied, "Yeah, I guess. Father and Mother say it's my duty and that it will make a proper wizard out of me"

"Yes it is and it would. You need to get some direction in your life or you might end up like that useless brother of yours" Bella replied with the curt authority of a grown-up even though she was herself only a few years older than her cousin.

Regulus frowned at the lecturing tone "You are way less fun now that you are married"

Bella sighed and flopped down next to him.

"Being married has little to do with it Reg. Lizzie's death has changed everything. The ministry is full of hypocrites that justify the murders they commit while condemning us for defending our way of life. They need to be shown that we are not going to back down, we will fight until we achieve victory"

"I was really sorry to hear about Lizzie, Bell. She was a good and decent witch" He spoke in a rare moment of solemnity as he put his hand on her shoulder.

Bella smiled as memories of her dear friend flooded her mind. It seemed like only yesterday that they were in this very house celebrating Christmas with Regulus and Sirius. She remembered flashing her breasts at James Potter, sending Sirius running from the room in horror. It was also the night Voldemort kissed her for the first time. Her father had witnessed that kiss and his reaction had sent her fleeing back to school only to be attacked and nearly killed by the man who was now her husband. How strange the way things had turned out, she was sure she would be the one to die an early death, not Lizzie.

"Reg, we need all the help we can get. There is no reason to justify you not joining. Unless you are a coward, that is"

She said the last part slowly like a challenge, daring him to prove he had the nerve to be her equal.

"Do I have a choice?" he replied in a defeated tone, already knowing the answer.

"Not really, love" she answered gleefully "Now, I'm starving, lets go make those ugly elves fix us some lunch"

Regulus sighed and heaved himself off of the sofa. He felt like a condemned man who knew there would be no hope of a commuted sentence. Lord Voldemort expected a lifetime of servitude.

As Bella was busy recruiting new Death Eaters, the next generation was being born. After thirty-six long, hard hours of labor, Narcissa gave birth to a healthy baby boy. They named him Draco. Bella looked at the tiny little child wrapped in a pale blue cashmere blanket. His hair was nearly pure white and already he was the very image of his father. He didn't really look quite like his namesake. Bella put her finger in his minute hand and his fingers curled around it. She had trouble picturing him as a dragon. And then he started to cry. A wail that would frighten the fiercest banshee came forth from this tiny creature. Narcissa, who looked as if she wanted to cry herself, carried the child into the bedroom and began to nurse him. Bella had followed and sat on the bed next to her sister. She had always pictured a new mother as glowing with happiness, superhuman in her abilities to take care of her new charge. Narcissa looked so pale she was a light shade of gray and the circles around her eyes looked nearly black.

"Don't you have any help Narci?" she felt genuine concern for her sister.

Narcissa shook her head despairingly "I have plenty of help except he wants to nurse all the time and I'm the only one who can do that job. I have never seen such a demanding baby"

Bella resisted the urge to taunt her with the phrase "like mother, like son" and instead chose to tell her something nice.

"He's so beautiful, Narci. Pure and strong, just like us"

It was this baby that strengthened her resolve even further. It was for him that she would fight to make sure he had a place of honor in their world.

As Bella continued recruiting, the Dark Lord was gathering information from his numerous spies. Both inside the Ministry and out, many people worked the network of data that flowed about the magical world. Sympathizers at the _Daily Prophet _planted stories that downplayed the activities of Lord Voldemort and his faction and several insiders leaked Ministry secrets. It was one of these secrets that held particular interest with the Dark Lord. A seedy gentleman with a flair for petty criminal activity was in the right place at the right time and overheard an extraordinary conversation between none other than Albus Dumbledore himself and a woman who claimed to be a seer. During the course of their discussion the seer went into a trance and spewed forth a very interesting prophecy. It was about the Dark Lord and a child who had been born who could bring about his downfall. There was much speculation to the validity of this man's claim, being that he wanted a rather large payment for his valuable tidbit and he had a reputation as a liar. Augustus Rookwood was engaged to search the department of mysteries and sure enough, there was a small glass sphere marked with the Dark Lords name, but the name of the child was not revealed.

"I must figure out which child it is, Bella" Voldemort was pacing back and forth in his parlor in a very agitated state, his thin fingers flexing in and out of fists. "I have my reasons to believe it is the Potter child, but I am not positive"

Bella fixed him a large fire whiskey and coaxed him into a chair.

"Master, we need more information. If we start going about murdering children at will we will definitely feel a Ministry backlash."

"Yes, yes, I realize that" he replied with irritation. "How is the Crouch boy coming along?"

"Quite well, actually. He is a quick study and has an edge about him that borders on disturbing. He's going to be an asset, I'm sure of it"

"Good, good" was Voldemorts distracted reply.

Bella draped herself seductively on his lap and wrapping her arms around him, whispered in his ear.

"It will all fall into place Master, it is only one little child. I hate to see you so distressed"

She put her cheek to his and for several minutes they sat in silence; the crackling of the fire the only sound to disturb their solitude. Voldemort leaned sideways, put his empty glass on the floor beside the chair and put his arms around Bella's waist.

"Rodolphus waiting for you at home like a proper husband, I expect?" His tone was somewhat derisive. Bella had tamed one of his fiercest Death Eaters with such ease (after a little intervention from himself) that it made him swell with pride. He had taught her well; she was nearly perfect in his eyes.

Bella brushed her full, soft lips against his cool skin "Not tonight, he is in Lyon at the bedside of his ailing grandmother"

"Excellent, then you will stay with me tonight"

Her answer came in the form of a deep, intense kiss that was reminiscent of those days when she was just a carefree girl, unburdened by the weight of the duties he had put upon her. What a foolish, rash decision he had made when he married her off to Rodolphus; he wanted her all to himself ever since he first laid eyes on her all those years ago. He responded by grabbing her hair and returning the kiss with a crushing passion. As they pulled apart Bella panted in a breathy whisper "Let's go upst-" She stopped mid sentence as she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. As she turned her head to look, a huge serpent reared up and bore it's fangs at them. Bella let loose with a fearful scream at the sight of the enormous reptile, whose girth was bigger around than her thigh. She buried her face in Voldemort's shoulder, bracing for it to strike. Then she heard hissing, but it was not coming from the snake. She timidly looked up and realized it was her Master talking to the snake. The snake slowly backed down and sulkily slithered out of the room.

"Oh my god, were you talking to that monster?" Bella's voice was trembling like the rest of her. Voldemort assessed his extremely frightened lover; it was a rare occasion when Bellatrix was scared of anything or anyone.

"My beauty, no need to be afraid, Nagini is my pet"

"Your what?" she gasped in horrified disbelief.

Voldemort smiled, he was rather enjoying her fear. He could feel her heart beating like a frightened rabbit as she pressed her chest to his, her trembling body in his embrace, needing him for protection.

"She is my pet. She was just a bit shocked to see you on my lap, that's all. Nagini is very protective of me and, I just found out, has a bit of a jealous streak"

Bella was at a loss for words, so she just sat there staring at him like he had just said the most absurd thing she could imagine. Voldemort smiled and gave her a quick kiss on her nose. The strangeness of such an uncharacteristic action jolted her out of her silent stupor and she suggested that they go to bed. Bella pulled out her wand and heard the lock click into place on the bedroom door. If that snake was jealous of a little kiss then it would be murderous if it saw what they were about to do now.

Bella decided to come home for a bath as she was less than keen to have another encounter with Voldemort's "pet". She was surprised to find Rodolphus had not returned home yet. She sighed, when the old witch finally died it meant she would be expected to go to France for the funeral, _God I hate the French_ she muttered out loud as she began to undress. When Bella finally slipped into the warm, foamy water she leaned back, closed her eyes and was nearly asleep when her husband's sultry voice caused her to open them again.

"May I join you?"

Bella turned and smiled at Rodolphus. He looked very tired but sexy at the same time, with his face unshaven and his hair hanging loosely about his broad shoulders. She nodded and Rodolphus shed his robes and slid into the tub behind her. Bella leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes as he began to kiss her neck, his hands caressing her gently. He was such a different type of lover than Lord Voldemort. Rodolphus took great pleasure in satisfying his wife, her moans of ecstasy drove him insane with desire. Voldemort was more self-centered, Bella was there to cater to _his _needs and fantasies. She smiled as Rodolphus ran his hand along the inside of her thigh, perfectly aware that she was very lucky to be able to have two men to love.


	37. A Thinning of the Ranks

**Chapter 37**

**A Thinning of the Ranks**

As Voldemort's army grew, so did the number of encounters with the Ministry. Bella was more than capable of taking on the best aurors they had to challenge her and she proved time and time again that she had learned all she knew from the Master. Unluckily on several occasions, however, they were outnumbered and the consequences were severe. One such battle took place in an abandoned warehouse just south of London. Bella had gone there, along with Dolohov, Rosier, McNair and Lucius for what they thought was an interrogation of a captured Ministry supporter. Bella was laughing as they entered the stagnate air of the expansive building.

"And then he said "Why don't you just kill me?" so I did! Stupid half bloods!"

Their laughter quickly died out as they looked around and got the uneasy feeling that something was not right

"Lumos" was muttered by more than one of the party. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Lucius saw them, Aurors in the shadows.

"It's a setup, scatter!"

Bella swore loudly as she headed for the cover of darkness. Spells began to fly and the warehouse lit up like a fireworks display. From behind a steel column she returned fire but they were outnumbered two to one. A spell streaked past her, just grazing her arm.

"Shit!" Bella cried as she grabbed her arm that was now bleeding freely.

It was futile to try and apparate, a jinx had been put on the building so they needed to get outside to escape. Malfoy made his way over to her.

"Bella, we need to get outside! We need to cover the others so they can get over to this side"

Bella nodded and pointed, "You take the ones on that side and I'll take the others"

Lucius wasted no time and began sending curses flying at an amazing rate. Within minutes Dolohov and McNair had joined them.

"Where the bloody, fucking hell is Rosier?" Someone shouted.

Their question was quickly answered as they heard him shouting and then a jet of red light hit Alistor Moody square in the face. Moody fell backwards with a howl of pain as Rosier boasted "You're past it Moody, you will never take me alive!"

Truer words were never spoken as a streak of green light hit him in the chest and with a soft thud he hit the ground. They all knew he was dead. Bella wasted no time and sprinted towards the door "Run!" she cried unnecessarily to the others; they were right behind her. As soon as they hit the sidewalk, they disapparated from the scene.

Bella walked into Dark Horizons and went straight for the scotch. Rodolphus looked up from his paper and immediately knew something was dreadfully wrong. Her hair was a tangled mess and her face was smudged with dirt, sweat and blood.

"Good God Bell, what happened?"

She took a deep drink from her glass before she replied, "It was a setup, someone betrayed us"

Rodolphus looked astounded "You mean it was an ambush? Are you hurt? Come and sit down"

Bella shook her head "I'm not hurt too badly, but Rosier didn't make it"

"We'll just break him out, that's all" Rodolphus responded, not quite comprehending what she meant.

"No Rodolphus, he's dead, they killed him"

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The next time it could be Bella that doesn't make it. He felt her sit down next to him on the sofa and he opened his eyes.

"Do you know who killed him?"

"I'm not sure, it was so dark. He did manage to do some significant damage to Alistor Moody before they took him down" was her tired reply.

Rodolphus put his arm around her and she melted into his embrace. He took a deep breath before he spoke. He knew Bella was not going to like what he had to say.

"Bell, there is really no need for you to go out into the field anymore, the Dark Lord has more than enough foot soldiers for that kind of work"

Bella sighed; she knew he was going to say that. It was nice that he worried about her but this what she was born for and she told him so.

"I just can't stand the thought of losing you" He tenderly wiped a streak of soot from her cheek and kissed the top of her head as she snuggled even closer to him.

"You won't lose me, I promise" She knew she was making a promise that was going to be very difficult to keep, but she vowed to do her best. She also vowed to rat out the spy that nearly cost her this time.

Rosier had not been one of her favorite colleagues but it was still a shock to lose him, especially when it came as a result of the betrayal by one of their own. But who? Who dared leak secrets to the Ministry, a risky venture indeed considering that the Dark Lord has considerable abilities when it comes to detecting deceit and lies. Who among them was skilled enough to fool Lord Voldemort? Bella had her suspicions but each was as unlikely as the next.

"Who do you think it is?"

Rodolphus muttered sleepily "Is what, love?"

"The spy, stupid!" Bella poked him in the ribs and with a small yelp he was wide-awake.

"I don't know, Bell. Maybe that greasy git you were shacking up with before me" he replied with annoyance as he rubbed his side.

Bella jabbed him again, only this time much harder "That is a cruel thing to say to me! And unfair, Severus is just a loyal as you and I"

"OW! You asked me my opinion and I'm giving it! That guy has an axe to grind and I think he has a reason to turn traitor!" Rodolphus shouted back, his hands ready to fend off another attack.

But Bella did not attack; instead she got up and disappeared up the stairs. Rodolphus eventually followed and was dismayed to find she was not in their bedroom as he thought. After a brief search he found her lying on a bed in one of the many guest rooms. Her face was tear-streaked and when she saw Rodolphus it darkened and she yelled at him to get out before she rolled over, putting her back to him. He was used to her tantrums but this one was unusual in the fact that she was not in their own bedroom.

"Bell, please come to bed" Rodolphus pleaded.

"I am in bed, now go away!"

It took all of the strength he had not just pick her up and carry her back to his bed, but he decided that tonight he would just let it go. She had been through a very terrifying experience and he was sure she would be sensible in the morning so, reluctantly; he walked away, leaving her alone.

It was nearly 3:00 a.m. when Rodolphus awoke and found that Bella had still not returned to their own bed. He reached out and ran his palm over the cool sheets where she normally slept, a feeling of emptiness swept over him. He knew she was just down the hall but it reinforced how lonely he would be if Bella was taken away from him forever. And he had not said what he did out of spite; he truly was suspicious of Snape. He had every reason to hate Voldemort. When the Dark Lord had threatened to take Bella away from _him,_ he also had nothing but malice in his heart for his Master. Snape had lost what may have been the love of his life and Voldemort had turned that love into a weapon against him, using the threat of harm to Bella as a guarantee of his submission. That would be enough to turn any man into a traitor. Rodolphus rolled out of bed and padded down the hall to see if he could persuade Bella into coming back to his bed. The door was open but she was nowhere in sight. He began to search all of the bedrooms, becoming more and more frantic with every empty room. Had she run away? He flew down the grand staircase and began to search the first floor. A wave of relief flooded over him as he opened the door to one of the smaller libraries and saw Bella asleep on a sofa in front of a barely flickering fire. As he got closer he could see her closed eyes were swollen from crying and that she had a small book clutched in her hand, which was curled up to her chest. He carefully slipped the book from her grasp. It was a book with a very ornate leather binding that was full of rather silly jinxes and curses, the kind of things that you would pull as pranks. As he flipped through its pages, he wondered why she was reading such a rudimentary text. Then he saw why. An inscription had been written inside the front cover

_To Bella,_

_This reminds me of you. Beautiful on the outside, but completely wicked and fun on the inside. _

_I wouldn't want you any other way._

_With all my love,_

Sevy 

His first instinct was to hurl it into the fire and watch with great satisfaction as it burned to ash. As he looked over at the hearth, Bella spoke.

"Please don't"

Her voice was a quiet, gentle pleading.

Rodolphus stopped and turned to face her. He held the book out to her and Bella carefully took it from his hand. She was afraid that he was going to fly into a jealous rage and hit her or worse. Rodolphus saw the apprehension and fear in her eyes and for a brief moment it gave him considerable pleasure. But the moment was fleeting, he didn't want her to recoil from his touch or look at him like that ever again. He fell to his knees beside her and drew her into his arms. She was stiff and resistant at first but soon sank into his embrace. Rodolphus pulled her close and murmured into her ear.

"I'm sorry Bell, I wasn't trying to upset you. Please don't be angry with me"

She sniffled a bit and then replied, "Then why do you say such hateful things to me?"

Rodolphus wanted the chance to explain his position but was unsure if she would be willing to listen to what he had to say. He stood and indicated that he wanted to lie next to her and she scooted over. He laid down facing her and she was giving him a look that let him know that if she didn't like what he had to say she would shove his ass right back onto the floor.

"Bell, I wasn't trying to piss you off, I really think that it is a plausible idea that Snape could be a traitor"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Really Bell, I'm serious, hear me out. He has a reason to hate the Dark Lord. I know because if our Master took you away from me, I would despise him. And he may have heard Lestrange was going on this last mission and thought it was me. Love and hate are strong motives Bella and you know it"

She cast her eyes downwards, pondering Rodolphus's words. He was right, Snape did have a reason and she knew that Severus had a bitter streak than ran deep, but would he really betray his own kind? She wasn't sure. Rodolphus looked intently at his wife; he knew he had cast a seed of doubt about her former lover. A lock of her hair fell onto her face and he swept it back behind her ear, trailing his finger softly across her cheek as he did. Bella shifted her gaze upwards and looked into Rodolphus's eyes. She parted her lips to speak but could not bring herself to say the words out loud.

"Shh my little girl, I know," he told her before he kissed her ever so tenderly. He would spare her the burden of saying anything, wishing he could spare her from the sorrow she felt as well. The gesture was not lost on Bella, she knew he had made a great sacrifice to his pride by returning the book to her and now he let her silence acknowledge the fact that he may be right. She put her arm around his back and pulled him close as they continued to kiss more passionately. Lost in the moment of heated lust, the book slipped, unnoticed, from her grasp and fell to the floor.

Later, as Bella lay sleeping in his arms, Rodolphus fingered the silver bangle around her wrist. He knew that Voldemort had given it to her on her seventeenth birthday, the same day he had made her a Death Eater. It was just a scant few months after that day that Voldemort had confronted Rodolphus in a seething fury. The Dark Lord had opened his chest, wrapped his long, cold fingers around his still beating heart and gave his warning.

"Bellatrix Black is mine. Touch her again and I will rip it out"

It was not until his brother, Rabastan, showed him a picture of Bella that he even knew who she was. He had never known the name of the beautiful girl he had met at the Hogshead but had thought of her often, wondering if she had survived. Obviously she had and unbeknownst to him, she was the favored one of his lord and master. He never told Bella the truth about the long jagged scar that ran down his chest, she believed it was from a particularly violent duel. He knew it was only a matter of time before the Dark Lord would claim her as his alone. If Voldemort was biding his time to reveal his true feelings for her, Rodolphus had no intention of helping him along.

Much to the dismay of her husband, Bella returned to the hectic fray of being an active Death Eater. With Voldemort at her side on many of these occasions, those who defied them didn't stand a chance. While most they encountered went down to defeat easily, a few fought impressively. Dorcas Meadows put up a valiant struggle but in the end it was Voldemort who came out the victor. He stunned her only to revive her so she could hear him utter the final curse.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The last thing she heard was Bella's piercing laughter; the last thing she saw was Voldemort's cruel, red eyes and then the blinding green rush of death.

"Let's dump her body on the Ministry's doorstep, Master!" Bella was dancing around the corpse with a demented amount of glee; this was her type of fun. Voldemort considered her idea for a moment but it was too risky. It was getting hard enough to evade capture as it was. A thinning of the ranks was in order for the Ministry and their Aurors and Voldemort had his sights set on Alistor Moody next.

The attack on Moody was carefully planned and Bella had persuaded Voldemort to let Regulus come along.

"I'm sure he will do a good job, especially if I'm there with him" Bella implored as she nuzzled his neck.

Though it was against his better judgement, he agreed to her request.

"Why do I let her get away with these things, Nagini?" Voldemort mused to his reptilian companion after Bella had left.

The snake let out a low hiss that didn't require the knowledge of Parseltongue to understand that it was uttered with a great amount of attitude. Voldemort shrugged as he answered back, "Yes well, that has something to do with it, I suppose"

Regulus Black had not been on very many raids during his tenure as a Death Eater. He was proving to be lazy and totally unreliable and Bella was thoroughly disgusted and embarrassed with him. As Bella, Regulus and four other Death Eaters approached Moody's house, she lectured her younger cousin.

"Reggie, this is very important, if you can fight well, Voldemort will take notice. I begged him to let you come, so please don't let me down""

Regulus nodded and eyed the small cottage apprehensively; he had no desire to fight and definitely did not want the notice of Lord Voldemort. But someone else was taking notice of the situation and was quickly summoning reinforcements to the aid of the targeted Auror. Mundungus Fletcher was returning from a late evening meeting with a wizard who had some questionable Invisibility cloaks to sell for cheap when he saw the unusual activity around Moody's house. As Bella and her party burst in, Moody's defenders soon joined them and the fight was fierce. Outnumbered as it was and with Regulus not really being of any help, the situation was quite serious. Bella was pinned down by two Aurors and she could see Regulus hiding out of the way.

"Reggie! Help me! Ahhhhh!"

Bella was lying motionless as Regulus turned tail and fled from the scene leaving his cousin in the clutches of the Ministry of Magic.

"Envenerate!"

Bella slowly opened her eyes and the gaze of Alistor Moody stared back at her.

"Bet you have one hell of a headache there, Mrs. Lestrange"

She struggled to sit up and as she looked around she realized she was on the floor of a windowless concrete cell. She reached back and rubbed the large bump on the back of her head.

"Good thing that cousin of yours is a useless coward or we might not have gotten this little chance to get to know one another"

Bella gave him the finger for her reply and Moody crouched down and grabbed her hand.

"Now, that's not very ladylike for such a pure bred girl"

Bella snatched her hand away and began to let loose with a string of swear words that would make an Irish sailor blush.

"…..muggle fucking, son of a whore. Too bad Rosier only took part of your face with him when he went down.."

Then an icy voice cut her off "I told you to leave her to me, Alistor"

Bartemius Crouch strode into the room wearing charcoal gray robes, meticulously combed hair and an expression of pure triumph. Bella got unsteadily to her feet. If she was going to face Barty Crouch, she was going to be upright, defiant and proud.

Moody looked apprehensive "If she cries mis-treatment she could get off on a technicality and avoid a life sentence, Barty. Just keep that in mind"

Crouch gave him a stern look "You may leave now"

Moody left and Crouch began to slowly advance on his captive. Bella stood her ground. He was so close they were almost touching.

"How long I have waited to have the whore of Voldemort in my possession" His voice dripped with self-righteousness.

"How dare you speak his name, you filthy blood traitor!" Bella shouted as she shoved him away from her. Crouch lunged at Bella like a tiger pouncing on his fleeing prey, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her back against the wall. She was gasping for breath as his fingers tightened around her slender neck.

"Alone, vulnerable and unarmed, just like so many of your victims. How sweet it will be making you suffer like so many of those unfortunate souls that crossed paths with you and your kind." His face was so close to hers that she could feel his hot breath on her cheek and smell the faint scent of cedar on his wool robes. He let go of her and stepped back a few paces. Bella put her hand to her throat as she sucked in the cold, damp air of her prison. She did not however have much time to regain her composure, Crouch had pulled his wand and with a grin of a man drunk with power and ambition he bellowed "Crucio!"

Bella doubled over and eventually fell to the ground. She tried to stifle her screams but it was a futile effort, the pain was too intense. After several minutes Crouch lifted the spell and Bella lay face down gasping and covered in sweat.

"Tell me how I can capture the others, tell me!"

Bella lifted her head enough to spit out "I'm not a traitor like you Crouch, so go fuck yourself"

Crouch became enraged and Bella turned just in time so the kick aimed at her face missed her nose but it did catch her cheek. He violently yanked her up by the back of her robes and crushed her face first into the cell wall. The rough concrete tore at her other cheek and then he grabbed her by the hair and forced her down to her knees. "Tell me, you foul little bitch!"

His fist was pulled back when she got a reprieve just in the nick of time.

"Barty! What the hell are you doing?"

Moody had come back to the cell and had run over and pulled Crouch off of Bellatrix, who slumped against the wall nearly unconscious.

Crouch was furious at being interrupted "What the hell do you want? I'm in the middle of an interrogation!"

"Your son is here to see you and he says it's urgent"

Crouch turned back to Bella "Tell him I'm busy"

Moody grabbed his shoulder and turned him back around "Take the time to see your son, he is more important than any Death Eater"

Crouch was irritated that Alistor Moody was giving him parenting advice but it was obvious that he was not going to let the interrogation continue at this time so he acquiesced and swept from the cell with an almost divine superiority. Moody walked over to the girl that he and so many other s had hunted like some kind of elusive animal. Even battered and bruised, she was a beautiful woman. He knew all to well that her beauty had been the worst curse that could have ever been bestowed upon her. If she had been an ordinary eleven-year-old girl, Voldemort would have never given her a second thought, for he had no use or interest in children. That beauty coupled with her considerable talent had sealed her fate the day Voldemort had first laid eyes on her. Moody almost felt a twinge of pity for this girl who really never had a choice about what her future may have held. But then he turned his back on the vicious creature and locked her in. She was what she was now and it was time for her to deal with the consequences.

Someone was calling her name but she could not draw the strength to answer them. She wanted to cry out "I'm in here, please help me!" but no sound would issue forth from her lips. She sank into darkness once again. The next time she awoke she was in Rodolphus's arms and in the foyer of their home.

"My Lord, I have her!" he called out and seconds later Voldemort emerged from the library. He stopped abruptly at the sight of Bella. Her face was bruised, bloody and swollen and her hair hung limply, soaked with sweat. She was nearly as pale as him. He reached out took her hand and even he could feel that she was cold. For the first time in decades he felt fear, fear that Bellatrix might die. The healer arrived and Rodolphus carried Bella upstairs to the bedroom. As the old wizard began to work his spells, Rodolphus began to carefully unlace her boots. Even though magic was faster, he liked doing it by hand. He had slowly laced up these boots the morning before, and like always, he had kissed her knees. He would always tell her it was for luck. He knew that they would both need more than luck if they were to stay alive until Voldemort was in power. Bella moaned as the healer forced a Restorative draught down her throat.

"She'll live, no real permanent damage done"

Rodolphus nodded and went downstairs to inform his master. Voldemort was in the library staring into the fire.

"My lord, Bellatrix will be fine, this time" He could not help the bitterness in his tone. He blamed Voldemort for letting Bella continue fighting.

The implied accusation was not lost on the Dark Lord "She wants to fight, Rodolphus, and I have no intention of denying her. That cousin of hers was another matter, however."

Rodolphus raised a questioning eyebrow, "Was?"

"He was useless to me and he let Bella get captured, I had him eliminated" he spoke about as if it was no more than a minor business decision.

Rodolphus was furious "You murdered Reggie? He may have been a useless coward, but Bella still loved him! She is going to be devastated."

"She will get over it" was Voldemort's glib reply.

Rodolphus just shook his head and then went back up to his wife.

Hours later, Voldemort quietly stole upstairs and peered into the bedroom. The moonlight shining through the window illuminated the sleeping couple. Bella was curled up in her husband's arms with a look of peaceful contentment on her face. Jealousy swelled up inside of Voldemort, the urge to kill Rodolphus on the spot coursed through his veins. But he knew that would be unwise. Bella would hate him if he murdered Rodolphus, but if he were to die in the heat of battle by the wand of the enemy, that would be a different story. He knew that there were those in the Ministry who had no problem with murder, as long as the price was right. Bella would be a grieving widow and he, Lord Voldemort, would be there to comfort her. It would not be long now; soon he would have everything that he desired.


	38. A Question of Loyalty

**Chapter 38**

**A Question of Loyalty**

Bella awoke with a start. It took her a few seconds to remember that she was back home and safe in her own bed. The clock on the mantle showed it was just past nine in the morning and she could not wait to soak in a hot bath. She gingerly made her way out of bed trying to not wake her sleeping husband and tiptoed over to the mirror on her dressing table. While still a bit sore, her face felt normal as she had run her fingers over her well-sculpted cheekbones, but the mirror was the true test. The last thing she remembered about being at the Ministry was Barty Crouch pulling back his fist, ready to thrash her senseless unless she gave up the whereabouts of key Death Eaters, including her own husband. She carefully lifted her eyes upward, mentally preparing herself for whatever disfigurement she may have to face. To her great relief, besides a faint bruise on her left cheek, she looked as she always had.

"Bella, you're not supposed to be out of bed, love"

She turned and could not help but smile. Usually his concern got on her nerves, always worrying like she was still a child, but this morning she had never been so glad to have him fuss over her. Bella climbed up onto the enormous bed and crawled back under the blankets with her very tired looking spouse. She laid her head on Rodolphus's chest and he tenderly stroked her back. Finally she spoke.

"Thank you for coming to get me"

He chuckled slightly, "What did you think, we were just going to leave you there?"

"No, but I know it must have been difficult. Barty's son made a great decoy, though I have to admit, it was Moody that saved the day, Crouch wouldn't have left if Moody had not persuaded him"

Rodolphus gave a snort "Good old Moody, always takes the high road. God, how pathetic, people like him are so predictable."

"Yes they are. That Crouch though is another matter, vicious bastard he is, too bad he's not on our side" Bella mused, thinking back on the mad look in his eye that was so much like his son.

"Hypocrites, all of them. Their tactics are no worse than ours" Rodolphus spat out angrily. He hoped to God that he would be the one to square off with Crouch. He planned on showing him new ways of causing pain and suffering that he could have never dreamed of.

Bella murmured in agreement and then exclaimed "Oh shit! Did Reggie get away okay?" She had forgot about her cowardly cousin until just now.

Rodolphus closed his eyes. He did not want to be the one to tell her. Lord Voldemort should have that unpleasant task, but once again, the Dark Lord would not have to face Bella, to see her despair. Once again, it would be Rodolphus who would pick up the pieces of his shattered wife.

When he didn't answer her she sat up and asked him again "Did Reggie get away?" her voice betrayed her inner panic that something bad had happened.

His silence told her she was right to panic. "Oh God, he was killed wasn't he?" Tears began to roll down her face. "They killed him, those bastards, I'll kill them all, I swear it!"

Rodolphus knew eventually she would find out the truth and he did not want it to come from anyone else.

"Bella, he is dead, but not at the hand of an Auror"

Bella looked completely at a loss.

Rodolphus continued, "Bell, it was the Dark Lord who ordered his death. He was furious that he had let you get captured"

At first, Bellatrix said nothing. She sat perfectly still, as if slowly processing what he had said. Then, suddenly, she jumped out of bed swearing at the top of her lungs.

"Son of a bitch! Goddamn, mother fucking bastard, he had no right!"

She ran out of the room and down the steps. Before he could catch up to her she was out the front door and had apparated out of sight.

Barefoot, clad in only a long, black silk nightgown and clutching her wand, Bellatrix arrived at Lord Voldemort's and came crashing through the door. She knew he would be in his favorite chair in the parlor and as she came hurtling into the room she screamed "Expelliarmus". Not one, but two wands went flying into the air but Bella didn't even notice that her Master was not alone. In the meantime, Voldemort had jumped up and was facing her with an expression of mingled surprise and fury. Belle strode up to him and shoved him so forcefully that he stumbled back a few steps.

"You fucking bastard! You had no right to kill Reggie! It should have been up to me what to do with him!"

She was in a rage as he had never seen her before. Uncontrolled anger had taken her over completely and all she wanted to do was hurt Voldemort, hurt him as deeply as she could, down to his very soul if he still even had one. She pointed her wand at his chest and with a deep-seated loathing she uttered the curse through her clenched jaw.

"Crucio!"

Voldemort bent over and gasped momentarily but quickly regained control as Bella was distracted by a rat that ran across her feet and under a table. He straightened back up and his arm shot out and easily knocked the diminutive girl to the ground.

"What the hell do you think you are doing, you silly bitch?" Voldemort was on the verge of losing control himself. If it had been anyone else but Bella, he would have been staring, unbelievingly, at a corpse by now.

Bella's chest was heaving as she hissed up at him "I hate you, I despise you for what you have done!"

Voldemort felt like she had plunged her wand right into his cold, steely heart. Bella was the one thing, the one person who could make him feel pain like he had not felt since he was a child. He bent down, yanked the wand out of her hand but she continued to berate him.

"You never cared for me one bit! Used me this whole time is what you did! I was just a fuck wasn't I? A stupid girl besotted by the affections of an older man! You make me sick!"

"STOP!"

Voldemort's usually high-pitched hiss was replaced by a bellow that sent a chill down Bella's spine. Voldemort was at a loss to understand why she was so upset but then again he had no real family to speak of so he was unable to comprehend her connection with this boy who had been such a weak link in the chain. What he did comprehend was that Rodolphus had been right about Bella's reaction and it sent a jolt of jealousy searing through him. Was it was possible that he might know her better than himself?

"Bella!"

Then, there in the doorway, stood the very object of Voldemort's hatred, Rodolphus Lestrange. A deadly silence fell upon the scene. Voldemort looked at the ebony wand in his hand as he pointed it at Bella, then he slowly raised his arm and targeted Rodolphus instead. It would be so easy to kill him right now; just two simple words and he would be out of Bella's life forever. He glanced down and saw the terror in her eyes; she knew what he was thinking.

"Please no, I'll do whatever you want, just don't do it" She got to her feet and stepped in front of the wand, her eyes never leaving his.

"You already do as I want Bellatrix, now stand aside"

She stepped backwards until she was directly in front of her husband.

Voldemort's eyes narrowed as he spoke in a disturbingly calm voice.

"I think you need to remember where your loyalties lie, my beauty"

Bella's full lips twisted into a bitter smirk "I know exactly where my loyalties lie and you had better not even think of making me choose between you and my husband. You orchestrated this union so don't you dare imply that I betrayed my loyalty to you."

Voldemort slowly lowered his wand. She was throwing his mistake back in his face and it could not have stung more if she had physically slapped him. It took every ounce of self-control not Crucio her until she begged for mercy or death. His voice shook slightly as he tried to take control of the situation.

"Get her out of my sight before I kill you both"

Rodolphus wasted no time heeding his master's orders and grabbed Bella by the arm and pulled her out of the house. The battered windows reverberated with echoing crack of them disapparating from the front lawn. Voldemort took several deep breaths before he turned back to his chair.

"You can come out now, you cowardly fool"

Seconds later a pudgy young man with beady black eyes and a very twitchy demeanor was cowering at his side.

"A rat suits you, boy. Filthy little vermin fit only to be the sustenance of superior creatures. You say you have information that I may find valuable, speak it now."

The boy stuttered as he spoke, his terror was undeniable.

"Y- yes sir, I- I do. I have been told that you are interested in the Potters"

Voldemort leaned back in his chair and tented his long white fingers.

"I'm listening"

The boy continued with a bit more confidence.

"I know that they plan on doing a Fidelius charm soon and I may be able to wrangle myself into being the secret keeper"

Voldemort sat upright, unable to hide his obvious interest.

"And you would be willing to give up your childhood friend and his son to serve me? You are aware that I am going to kill the child?"

The boy tried to put on a brave face as he replied, "I am aware of that, but I don't want to be on the losing side"

A cowardly traitor was what this boy was, a creature that even disgusted Lord Voldemort, but even the lowliest of beings could serve a purpose, no matter how repugnant they were.

"Report to me when you have secured the key to the Potters" And with that he let the young man know he was dismissed. Once outside, Peter Pettigrew tried to catch his breath. He had just committed one of his best friends and his infant son to certain death and he felt a surprising lack of remorse for it.

Back at Dark Horizons Bella was in a towering temper.

"I swear to God, I could kill him! How dare he question my loyalty! I never betrayed him once, but he has turned his back on me on more than one occasion!"

Rodolphus watched her pace the length of the library as she railed on. To watch her pain was disheartening on two fronts. It was bad enough that she felt that her unwavering loyalty had been put in question but the worst part was the undeniable fact that deep down the reason she was so upset was because she was in love with Voldemort. His absence of consideration for her feelings, the coldness in which he had dealt with Regulus was devastating to her. Rodolphus was no clueless fool, he was perfectly aware that his wife and his Master had a bond that was forged over a decade of experiences and that only death would, perhaps, be the only thing to break it. Unluckily he had a foreboding feeling that it was his own death that would come before that of Voldemort and most likely, it would be Voldemort that would be wielding the wand.

It took Bella several days to calm down and she had been ignoring the mark on her arm every time it burned. If Voldemort wanted to see her, he would have to seek her out on his own. Eventually, that is exactly what he did; arriving at Dark Horizons when he knew Bella would be home alone. He strode through the door and began to search the house, bellowing her name as he went room by room.

"Bellatrix Black, I know you are here, don't make me search this whole house for you!"

"There is no need to shout"

Voldemort came back to the foyer and watched as Bella casually descended the stairs fastening a diamond pendant around her neck as she went. She was obviously dressed to go out.

"Where are you going?" he demanded as she walked past him towards the kitchen.

"I really don't think it's any of your business" She replied as she continued on into the kitchen.

Voldemort clenched his fists and stormed into the room. Bella ignored him and continued making herself a cup of tea. She felt his skeletal fingers close down upon her shoulder as he wheeled her around to face him.

"Everything my followers do is my business, don't ever forget that"

Bella gripped the teacup in her hand and then, suddenly and violently, she hurled it against the wall behind him. The dainty cup exploded like a bomb, spraying them both with a shower of porcelain shrapnel. Voldemort instinctively pulled Bella to his chest. It was an automatic response for him to keep her from harm. He slowly let her go, picking a shard of pottery from her hair as she looked up at him. His action spoke louder than any words he had ever uttered to her. His first instinct was to protect her. A trickle of blood was running down his neck.

"You're bleeding, sit down"

Voldemort pulled out a chair, sat down and let Bella tend to the injury that she had inflicted upon him.

"Master, why did you let it happen, why did you let Rodolphus marry me?" She asked softly.

Voldemort sighed, "Even I make mistakes, my beauty."

Bella sat on his lap and lay her head on his shoulder "I can't help it that I love you both"

He acted as if he hadn't heard her.

"I am on the cusp of complete control, my beauty, it won't be long now. The Potter's are almost in my grasp, thanks to their traitorous friend Peter"

Bella looked up "Peter? Surely you don't mean Peter Pettigrew?"

"Yes, that's the one. He is in the position to become the Secret Keeper for their Fidelius charm"

Bella's eyes narrowed "I wouldn't put to much trust in him if I were you. He was a cowardly little snotrag and I can't imagine he has the nerve to hand over anyone, let alone the James Potter"

Voldemort scooted Bella off of his lap and stood up "Don't fret, I know what I'm doing"

He smoothed the front of his robes "That was the news I wanted to tell these past few days, but you were in one of your little moods"

Bella looked at him like the clueless man that he was "A little mood? You murdered my cousin, I think I am justified in being just a bit pissed off!"

He leaned down and kissed her cheek "As I said before, even I occasionally make mistakes. I have an appointment in London that I can't be late for so I must be going. I will see you again soon"

Bella knew that was closest thing to an apology she was likely to get and she accepted for what it was.

She walked him to the door and he kissed her cheek again before left. Bella stood in the doorway long after he apparated, pondering his news. She had a bad feeling about Pettigrew. Nothing good ever came out of an encounter with any of Sirius's friends.


	39. Words Spoken, Bonds Unbroken

Sorry this was so long in coming but alas, I had serious computer issues! Luckily they have been resolved and I am working on the final chapter of this saga as we speak! Hope you enjoy this one!

**Chapter 39**

**Words Spoken, Bonds Unbroken**

Antonin Dolohov was at Dark Horizons for dinner and he had an agenda other than wine and polite conversation.

"I need to avenge Lizzy's murder, Bella. I will not be able to put her spirit to rest until Fabian and Gideon Prewett are dead."

Bella looked at her long time friend with great sorrow in her heart. Antonin had loved Lizzy in a way that sometimes had made her incredibly jealous. No man, except for maybe Severus, had ever loved _her_ so unconditionally and so completely. She was always an object of desire, but usually it was coupled with obsession and lust, love had little to do with it. Pulling herself out of her reverie, she finally spoke.

"I will help you any way I can, Antonin"

Rodolphus raised his glass.

"You have my full support as well. Now, a toast, to Lizzy Dolohov."

They all spoke her name quietly and touched their glasses together. A Death Eaters pledge to take down all that dared oppose them.

Bella was lounging in her bath, enjoying the quiet new morning when the mark on her arm began to burn.

"Damn it!" she muttered "How does he always manage to want me when I'm in the bath!"

She hurriedly put on some robes, dried her hair and finally Apparated to Voldemort's house.

"What took you so long?" he snapped before he even turned around.

Bella gave an audible, irritated sigh.

"I was in the bath; you realize it's only 8:00 a.m.!"

He waved his hand dismissively "Time means little to one when one is immortal"

Bella rolled her eyes "I assume you wanted me for something other than to remind me that you won't die"

He motioned her to sit in the chair next to him.

"Of course I did. My, my, you have grown into such an impertinent girl."

Bella sat and with an airy voice replied, "If I have, it's because you made me that way"

Voldemort gave a snort of laughter "You were impertinent the first day I met you. I asked if we were friends and you pretended like you had to think about it. A pure brat is what you were, don't even bother to deny it"

Bella giggled "I remember. My father was so mad when I burst in on you two. Ahhh, the good old days"

Voldemort looked at her very intently "Bella, there will be many good, new days as well. My plan could unfold in just a matter of weeks now"

Her brow furrowed, "So you still plan on trusting the information from Pettigrew?"

"His mind is so weak, my beauty, I can know what he is going to do next before he even knows it himself" Voldemort replied with confidence.

Bella was not convinced.

"What if he is just a pawn, some kind of decoy? Maybe he believes his information to be true because Dumbledore is feeding it to him knowing that he is a traitor."

Voldemort reached over and put his hand on her knee.

"Are you doubting my abilities?"

Bella took his hand, slipped onto the floor and knelt by his chair.

"I have never doubted you, Master. I am only worried, you know what a blood traitor Sirius is and I'm sure that he is involved with this somehow."

Voldemort gently stroked her hair as she laid her head on his knee.

"I have everything under control, my love" he whispered soothingly "Everything will fall into place so very soon"

Thoughts of Pettigrew were shunted to the back of her mind, as she had not missed Voldemort's choice of words. He had called her 'my love' instead of 'my beauty'.

Bella returned home and was joined shortly by Rodolphus. They curled up on a sofa in the library with a bottle of wine. The flickering fire bathed them in a soft glow, the warmth enveloping them in its embrace.

"You're awfully quiet tonight, is something wrong?" Rodolphus spoke with a quiet concern.

Bella took a sip of her wine, closing her eyes as she did. Her mind was spinning with thoughts of her Master, both of his plans for the Potters and his choice of words earlier today. To trust Pettigrew seemed reckless, if not downright foolish but Bella wasn't sure how to get Voldemort to heed her warnings. But weighing even more heavily on her mind was the fact that he had called her "my love". Though she was sure that he did, Voldemort had never actually told her that he loved her, never let her see that she may be the one weakness that he still had.

Bella turned away from the fire, faced her handsome husband and gently put her hand to his cheek, now rough with stubble from a long day. Rodolphus loved her too and she loved him, but eventually, she knew that she would no longer be able to have both.

"Nothing is wrong, darling. I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

Rodolphus knew Bella all too well and she was not just tired but he decided to refrain from pressing her for details at the moment. No sense in starting an argument when they were having such a peaceful evening and he had a feeling that evenings like this were going to be fewer and fewer.

The air was cool and crisp as Bella, Antonin, McNair, Mulciber and Rodolphus crept up upon the small house that was supposedly harboring their prey. Gideon and Fabian Prewett had no clue that on this night five highly skilled Death Eaters were creeping up on their doorstep. It was not that they did not know they were targets, they had taken many security measures, but they were unaware that there were spies among their ranks that gave away many secrets.

"McNair, Mulciber and Rodolphus, you take the back. Bella and I will make our entrance through the front" Antonin had been rehearsing this night over and over in his mind ever since Lizzie died in his arms. The men nodded and went to take up their places.

"Are you ready, Bella?"

Bella had that steely determination in her eye that she only had when she was about to destroy her enemies. She smiled ruefully as she replied.

"I am always ready to eliminate those who oppose us and our way of life"

So with wands raised and revengeful emotion running high, they stormed the small cottage. The two Prewett brothers, while taken unawares, were more than ready for a fight. Glass shattered and the noise was enough to wake the dead or at least the Muggles in the house next door. The Prewetts were highly skilled in the art of the fight and even though they were outnumbered, it was a heated battle. Antonin and Bella had Gideon cornered in a bedroom, Antonin was twirling his foes wand between his fingers.

"How does it feel to face death, blood traitor?" Bella sneered.

"Better than it does when you screw your master, I reckon" the Auror replied boldly.

"Bold and foolish words from a man that should be begging for his life." Growled Antonin.

Fabian stood tall and proud, "I will never beg for any Death Eater filth"

Bella shrugged at Antonin "I hate it when they refuse to play, hurry up and kill him, I'm getting bored"

Antonin turned stony faced to his enemy and then broke into a justified smile as he spoke the words with a righteous conviction.

"Avada Kedavra"

Bella walked over to the corpse and nodded her approval.

"Nice work, Lizzie would have been proud"

"I'm not finished yet" and Antonin marched back to the living room with Bella hot on his heels.

Fabian Prewett had put up a fierce resistance, with McNair and Mulciber both sporting fairly significant injuries. However, in the end, the Death Eaters prevailed and Prewett lay bound and gagged on the floor.

"Untie him" Antonin ordered and his cohorts obeyed immediately. Gideon got to his feet and faced the Death Eaters, if he was afraid, he hid it well.

Dolohov approached his prey with a demented smile twisting his handsome features into a mad façade.

"I have saved the best for you, Gideon, for you could have saved her and instead left her to die like a slaughtered animal. My beautiful wife, who never harmed a soul, neither Muggle or Wizard, was left to bleed to death and you did nothing"

Prewett showed no remorse as he replied, "If she was such an innocent then why was she married to you? Why was she best friends with a notorious murderess? No decent witch would keep company with such criminals"

Bella was instantly enraged and she screamed in a insane fury,

"Don't you dare talk about Lizzie like that, don't you dare! Finish him Antonin, before I do!"

Antonin made a slashing motion with his wand and Prewett stumbled backwards as blood sprayed from a gash across his chest. With one last flourish of his wand, Antonin accomplished what he came for. Gideon Prewett lay on the floor as blood ran from his throat, he was going to die the same slow death that Lizzie had suffered. The group of Death Eaters then turned their backs on the dying man and Apparated from the scene.

It was only days after the successful slaughter of the Prewetts that Bella was summoned before her Master once again. She had never seen him in such a state. As soon as Bella had walked into the room Voldemort seemingly leapt from his chair and pulled her into an embrace so strong that he lifted her off her feet.

"It has been done my love, at long last, I will be unchallenged, unstoppable by any soul on this earth"

His obvious joy was a bit unsettling to Bella. Fury, lust and even moments of subdued happiness were not unusual, but unadulterated glee was eerily bizarre.

"Master" Bella croaked, barely able to breath under the crush of his arms, "What has happened?"

Voldemort set her feet firmly back on the floor and took her hands in his.

"The boy became the Secret Keeper and he has delivered the Potters to me on a silver platter. Tonight I will remove the last barrier in my quest for ultimate power"

Bella cast her eyes downward, staring at his pale hands holding hers. She bit her lower lip; she was doing a poor job of sharing in his elation. Voldemort narrowed his eyes in irritation.

"Don't tell me you are still worried?"

Bella looked up and her expression answered before she was able to speak a word. Voldemort threw up his hands in exasperation, and, shouting slightly, exclaimed, "Do you think I am an incompetent fool, Bella? Do you feel that your judgment is better than mine?"

Eager to quell his anger before it reached full steam, Bella pleaded tearfully, "I don't think that at all! But consider your source, Pettigrew is a sniveling vermin in more ways than one, why is he so eager to switch sides? He is a fool that could easily be an unwitting pawn in a trap to capture you, or worse, kill you!"

Voldemort took her trembling hands in his once more and this time spoke soothingly.

"My love, there is no enchantment, no prison than could hold me, to capture me would be impossible. As for killing me, that is also impossible, I have gone further than any other wizard to ensure my immortality, I cannot die. I am the most powerful wizard to walk this earth and I will live forever." Then after a moments silence he added, in an almost inaudible whisper, "And I will love you forever, as well"

Bella's eyes flickered to the bracelet on her wrist. She had always assumed that the word 'forever' engraved on the inside referred to her eternal loyalty to him and, possibly, some loyalty to her but never did it occur to her that it was Voldemort's expression of his eternal love. Finally he had spoken out loud what she always hoped, what she had sensed from him on many occasions, even when she was a young girl, and all she could do was look up into his face in stunned silence. Voldemort was obviously waiting for her to say something, to give some kind of reaction to his revelation and was a bit concerned by her quiet reaction.

"Bell?"

She gazed at the man that had shaped her life in so many ways. Voldemort had been everything to her, teacher, mentor, master and lover, no one else, not even Rodolphus could compare.

She whispered, "I will always be yours…forever" and then she put her lips to his and melted into his embrace. Later, as he she left him readying for his trip to the Potters, she was still apprehensive but decided to resist the urge to plead with her Master one last time; he had made up his mind and she hoped for all of their sakes that he was right.

After much coaxing by Rodolphus and several glasses of wine, Bella finally went to bed and drifted off into a fitful, uneasy slumber. Eventually, Rodolphus too finally succumbed to sleep only to be awoken in what seemed like just minutes later by Bella flailing about trying to get out of bed.

"Bellatrix, what the hell is wrong?"

She finally extricated herself from the bed and it's hangings and began to search for robes, muttering hysterically to herself the whole time. Rodolphus got up and grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to stop much to her distress.

"Let go, he needs my help!"

He tightened his grip and shook her slightly, sure that she was sleepwalking.

"Bell, stop, wake up. No one needs your help"

She struggled to free herself and finally kneed him in the groin. He let go. She pulled on her robes and tapped her wand to her boots, they laced themselves in seconds. Rodolphus tried to straighten up and was begging her to stop.

"Bella, please, let me help you. Don't leave this house"

It was too late. She was already running down the stairs and he tried to Stupefy her but she ducked and was out the door. With a crack like a shotgun, she was gone.

It was a harvest moon, a large orange globe casting its glow over a sleepy kingdom. Godrics Hollow was eerily quiet except for the faint cry of a baby. Bella followed the cry until she came upon the ruins of a house. Dust was still swirling in the moonlight and the cry was coming from somewhere amid the wreckage. She stepped among the broken glass and splintered wood, carefully treading until the toe of her boot hit something soft. She knelt down and flipped over a board. She jumped back slightly as the glassy eyed face of James Potter stared back at her. She had not seen him since leaving school but he had changed very little, with one exception, he was now dead. She continued her search and under a battered door she found the source of the crying. Still in the arms of his dead mother lay a young child whose face was covered in blood from a deep gash on his forehead. There was no sign of Lord Voldemort. Bella wanted to call out for him but she was fearful of breaking the silence. She began to back away from the destruction, afraid that an unseen hand would grab her and pull her under the pile of rubble. Fear like she had never felt before was overtaking her and she scrambled to put distance between her and the carnage. Why was the child still alive? What had stopped Voldemort from fulfilling his mission? Bella did not want to find out, at least not when she was on her own. A faint rumble was now mixing with the soft cry of the baby, growing slowly louder. Bella retreated behind a large oak tree on the edge of the property and did not have to wait long to discover the source of the noise. A motorbike quickly descended from the sky and came to a skidding halt in the front yard. The rider was none other than her cousin, Sirius. He ran into the broken down house frantically pulling up boards and shouting for his long time friends.

"James, Lily, please answer me!"

Bella could hear him pleading out loud.

"Please don't let them be dead, please God, don't let them be dead"

It was only about a minute until he found the baby. She could see him prying Lily's arm from her son and then wiping the blood from his face. Sirius's quiet, trembling voice carried on the still night air like electricity, every word loud and clear to the concealed Death Eater.

"Don't cry Harry, I'm here now. Everything will be alright"

'Liar' Bella thought. All grown ups were such liars to children. Her own father had told her so many times everything will be alright, but seldom things were. At the moment things seemed so far from alright that she wanted to cry, but crying rarely made things better and now she needed to seek a safe haven to give herself time to find out what had happened and where her Master was. She needed to go home and quickly, it would not be long until the place would be swarming with Aurors.

Bella's hand was shaking as she pointed her wand at the door. She had to concentrate to remember the complex spell that would allow her entry to her own home. As she crossed the threshold Rodolphus burst out in simultaneous anger and relief.

"Jesus Christ Bella, where have you been?"

She walked wordlessly right by him into the library and poured herself a large scotch. The ice clinking against the fine crystal betrayed her jangled nerves. Rodolphus sat down and waited for an explanation.

"Well?" and he crossed his arms across his chest.

Bella slowly shook her head.

"Something very bad has happened. I'm not sure what, but it's bad."

Rodolphus pressed her for details.

"What do you mean? Where did you run off to?"

She rubbed her tired eyes as she tried to verbalize her fears.

"I went to Godrics Hollow, to find the Dark Lord. It was so bizarre, the house was blown apart, James and Lily Potter were dead, but the child lived. The Master was nowhere to be found, not a trace of him, the Mark hadn't even been set over the house. And the child was alive, injured but very much alive. Why, when he was the intended target, was he still alive?"

Rodolphus sat back and contemplated what she had said. He had to admit, he was equally puzzled; Voldemort was not one to leave a job unfinished.

"And you are sure the potters were dead?"

Bella nodded.

"I saw them both, it was James for sure and then Sirius showed up on that blasted flying motorbike"

Rodolphus sat up "You two didn't get into it did you?"

"Of course not! Do you think I wanted to be seen and risk being blasted in to a million bits by a crowd of angry Aurors?"

The couple resigned themselves to silence as both wondered where their Master was. The difference was that one was distraught and only had thoughts of finding him and the other was hoping he was gone and would never return.

"


	40. After The Fall

**Chapter 40**

**After The Fall**

By the next afternoon Dark Horizons had become a rallying point for other Death Eaters who, like Bella, were wondering what had become of their Master. Reports kept coming in about various celebrations among the mudbloods and blood traitors, it was obvious that many felt Lord Voldemort had been vanquished and was never to return. Bella knew better. She knew that her Master was out there somewhere, weakened but not dead; he needed her help. Others were not so sure.

"No Dark Mark and he couldn't even kill a baby? Someone was waiting for him; it was a trap. Mark my words, he is dead and gone and we are left high and dry, at the mercy of the Ministry"

Bellatrix whirled around and smacked the face of Lucius Malfoy with all the energy she could muster.

"Shut up you filthy coward! He is out there and he needs us now, more than ever!"

Tears of frustration began to roll down her cheeks. So many were ready to abandon the man they had pledged their allegiance to, so many were unwilling to help her find the man she had loved since she was just a child. Barty Crouch, Jr. stood up and addressed the group.

"I warn any of you who are thinking that this is your chance to flee from your vows, think again. The Dark Lord will not forgive you, will not welcome you back into the fold and I personally will take great pleasure in killing any whose loyalty wavers"

Antonin Dolohov stood up, "Here, here! I whole-heartedly agree with Barty. The Master is more than just a wizard who knows a lot of nasty spells and has the guts to use them, he is the greatest man in living history and I for one am not ready to give up hope. We need to stick together and form a plan. Who in the Ministry might have an idea of where he is, is he in their custody or perhaps he is in hiding, in either case, someone must have some clues."

Rodolphus stood up and tried to bring some order to the chaos that was unfolding in his house.

"Everyone needs to calm down, rash actions and poorly planned attacks will get us nowhere except tossed in Azkaban"

The group quieted down and Rodolphus continued.

"We need to know who the first Aurors were on the scene last night. We know Sirius Black was there and I'm sure Dumbledore had his nose in there as well. Barty, you are our best source for inside info at the Ministry, see what you can find out"

Barty nodded and wasted no time; he left immediately.

"The rest of you, lie low and keep your ears to the ground. This could be a dangerous time until we establish the whereabouts of our Master. For now, Dark Horizons will be our temporary headquarters, report any news in person and for Gods sake, use your heads, we cannot afford to lose anymore ground"

Slowly the crowd began to disperse until eventually Bella and Rodolphus were alone together. As the couple began to get ready for bed Rodolphus confronted his wife.

"Bella, when the Dark Lord returns what is going to happen to us?"

Bella stopped stroking her hair and laid the heavy silver brush gently on her vanity. She spoke to his reflection in her mirror, finding it easier than truly facing him.

"I'm not sure, Rodolphus"

He snorted with disbelief "I think you are Bellatrix. He wants you to be with him, doesn't he? He is in love with you, as he has probably been since the first day he laid eyes on you, and he was finally ready to take you away from me, wasn't he?"

His voice got steadily louder as he spoke until he was almost shouting. Bella sprang to her feet, truly faced him this time and shouted back.

"I don't know! Stop yelling at me, this isn't my fault! Do you think I want to be in love with two men at the same time? Do you think that is has been easy being the obsession of a man who felt that loving me completely was an admission of weakness? No, it has not! Do you know why? Do you? Because he if could not have me, neither could anyone else, leaving me alone or heart-broken for so many years" Her chest heaving with emotion, she stopped to catch her breath before she continued in a more subdued tone, "Until I realized that I loved you and you loved me. I knew that it was foolish to let myself be happy with you. I knew that he would eventually find out and remove you from my life, most likely by taking yours. Do you know how afraid I have been that you would just disappear one day and I would never see you again? Never know if you were dead or alive? It has been more horrible than you could imagine, Rodolphus."

Tears were now running down her face, her knees gave way and she sunk to the floor. Rodolphus rushed over and knelt down in front of his sobbing wife, wrapping her in his strong embrace as he tried to console her.

"Bella, I'm so sorry, I didn't think you even realized what the Dark Lords true feeling were for you. I thought you were too close to him to really see how he is with you. I knew I was in the line of fire that night…" his voice faltered "That night that I nearly killed you he was more furious than I had ever seen him and then you came into the room. The moonlight made you look ghost-like, like an ethereal vision and his fury was gone. His eyes devoured you in a gaze of unbridled lust like I had never seen before or since. And then when he kissed you it was like he had forgotten I was in the room, for that moment he let down his defenses and I saw a glimmer of emotion in his cold face. I was sure I was dead because he was in love with you and I had nearly taken you away from him forever. Ironically, it was that fear of losing you that spared my life; he needed me to keep you safe until he was in power. He was sure the Potters deaths would be the final hurdle not only to ultimate power but to a life with you always at his side."

Eventually, Bella's sobbing subsided enough for her reply, to try and explain to her husband how complicated her relationship with Voldemort really was.

"Rodolphus, I knew that he loved me in some way. At first, when I was a young girl, I was sure that he was passionately in love with me. But what young girl would not think that with an older, powerful man who makes you feel that you alone are the object of his desire. I still remember that first Christmas party like it was yesterday. The way he looked into my eyes, his hand on my cheek, wanting him to kiss me so badly all seems so fresh in my mind. It wasn't until I had left Hogwarts that I began to realize that he was most likely not going to be able to give me everything I needed or wanted from a relationship. That only became clearer when I met and fell in love with Severus, he showed me what I would never have with a man like the Dark Lord. And the Master knew it; he could scarcely believe that a mere boy could lure me away from his iron grasp. That is where you came in, the man I feared more than any other, the man he was sure I would never, could never love. His plan backfired though, didn't it? Because I do love you, oh God how I love you."

Bella was overcome by tears once more as she wrapped her arms around her husband and held onto him so tightly, as if that could keep them from being torn apart. Rodolphus understood why she loved them both, why she could not choose only him. But understanding didn't make it hurt any less.

The next afternoon Bella and Narcissa ran a make shift headquarters out of the library of Dark Horizons. All day long Death Eaters were in and out reporting any news of their missing Master, none of it good. But it wasn't until Rodolphus returned that they heard the most incredible event since the night before.

"Have you seen this yet?" He tossed the Evening Prophet on the table.

Bella and her sister both stared, wide eyed, at the picture on the front page.

"No fucking way" Bella whispered in disbelief as she stared her cousin Sirius being restrained by several aurors under the headline 'Sirius Black murders thirteen in deranged rampage'.

Narcissa grabbed the paper and began to read it aloud.

"Sirius Black of number 12 Grimmauld Place is now in Ministry custody after a brutal attack in the heart of muggle London. Black, a well-known supporter of You-Know-Who, took revenge on a former school-mate today taking out a dozen muggles at the same time. Peter Pettigrew, a wizard and dear friend of Lily and James Potter was the target of the explosive attack. Black, in his deluded mental state, blamed Pettigrew for the loss of his Master…"

Narcissa looked up at Bella and just shook her head "This has to be some kind of joke"

Bella began to laugh, "The whole Ministry is a joke. What a bunch of fucking morons! Sirius, a Death Eater? He is the very definition of mud-blood lover, yet he kills a dozen of them? Bullshit. He knew Pettigrew was a traitor but even then, he wouldn't kill him in the middle of a muggle street. It has Imperius written all over it. I just wonder who did it? I would like to thank them, saves me a lot time and effort, because I planned on killing Pettigrew myself."

Narcissa pursed her lips "Hmm, I was sure that you, Bella dear, would be the first Black to end up in Azkaban"

"I'm too clever to get caught" Bella's voice was full of confidence but in her heart there was a slight twinge as she gazed once more at Sirius's picture. His eyes were dead, but not like an Imperius trance, more like a defeated man who had nothing left to fight for. With his hair longer now he and Bella looked remarkably alike, more like brother and sister than cousins. It could easily have been her in that photo and she knew it. It was going to take more than cleverness to keep off the front page. It was going to require nothing short of a miracle.

"I never noticed how much you two look alike" Rodolphus remarked off handedly.

Bella got up so fast that she knocked her chair backwards to the floor. She had snatched up the newspaper and threw it into the fire with such ferocity that ash and burning cinder flew out onto the hearthrug.

"We are wasting our energy on this mindless idiocy of the Ministry. Sirius can rot in Azkaban, it makes no difference. The Dark Lord is who we need to focus on right now."

Rodolphus was too tired to hide his jealousy and spat out "Oh yes, God forbid that we waste a single second on anything else."

Narcissa sat back with a smirk and waited for the sparks to fly but unluckily for her, there would be no show today. Instead Bella just turned her back on her husband and walked out of the room. Rodolphus shook his head silently but his anger was more than apparent when he yanked the stopper out of the crystal scotch decanter and slammed it down so hard it shattered. Narcissa clicked her tongue "Temper, temper. To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't kill her before your first anniversary"

Rodolphus threw back his drink in one gulp before he replied icily "You forget, I almost did"

"Oh yes, her little trip through the window. I lost twenty Galleons to Lucius on that one. I was sure that the Dark Lord was going to kill you"

Rodolphus poured another scotch " Nice to know you find my marriage so entertaining" Then he muttered under his breath "Fucking bitch"

Narcissa got up and gathered her cloak "Well, _this_ 'bitch' is going home so you can go fight with the other one. Goodbye" And she tossed her blond head and left. Rodolphus had no desire to fight with either of the Black sisters so he sat down in front of the fire with yet another drink and eventually dozed off.

"Darling, come up to bed"

Rodolphus woke up but didn't open his eyes. Bella's hand was caressing his stubbly cheek and it was more soothing than any single malt could ever be.

"I love you Bella"

She draped herself onto his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder.

"I love you too"

Rodolphus could not imagine his life without her.

Rabastan Lestrange was very much like his older brother. Handsome, powerful and vicious. And at the moment he was lounging on a sofa in the library at Dark Horizons being very bored. Feet up on the coffee table, he swirled his whiskey around in its' glass.

"Bella, I hope the Dark Lord comes back soon. Hiding out and always looking over my shoulder is having a crippling effect on my social life"

Bella, who was sitting next to him with her feet up as well, rolled her eyes.

"Oh God yes, what a tragedy that you aren't getting laid by your usual bevy of whores."

Rabastan kicked Bella playfully.

"Oh I didn't say I wasn't getting laid, it's just the quality has diminished. All of the best whores are in hiding or have fled the country all together. Present company excepted, of course."

Bella kicked him back a bit harder than just play.

"While I'm sure you meant it as a compliment, I really don't care to be referred to as a whore, even if it is one of quality"

"I'd hate to see hard you would have kicked if I had said you were common slut with a nice rack" Rabastan replied as he rubbed his ankle.

Bella burst out laughing. It was the first time she had laughed in days and it felt good for a moment but then it just reminded her of what had been lost. Rabastan voiced what they both were thinking.

"Things will never be the same if he is gone forever"

She leaned her head back and spoke to the ceiling.

"No, they won't be but if he was truly dead, I'd feel it. He is still alive, somehow, somewhere."

"You two look very cozy"

The junior Crouch ducked as two jets of red light flew over his head. Bella sighed and flopped back onto the sofa wordlessly. Rabastan went over to refresh his drink muttering something that sounded an awfully lot like 'fuckwit'.

"Neither one of you have the slightest sense of humor" Barty mused as he sauntered over to fix himself a large whiskey. Bella, looking profoundly bored, flipped him off and went back to staring at the ceiling. Rabastan chose to address him verbally.

"What the fuck do you want, Crouch?"

Barty to a deep drink from his glass before replying, "Manners, manners my good man. You will be sorry for being such an ass when you hear what I have to tell you"

Rabastan stepped up in Barty's face and spoke between gritted teeth.

"Don't you dare lecture me about manners you punk little git!"

"ENOUGH!" Bella shouted, "Say what you have to say Barty or get the hell out."

Barty smiled and acquiesced.

"I got some key inside info from my father last night. Firstly, Dumbledore has been at the Ministry warning them that they are fools if they think Voldemort is gone for good. Second, Frank Longbottom was the Auror who headed up the investigation at the Potter house. Anything that was found, he would have known about it"

Barty looked at his fellow Death Eaters with a triumphantly smug smile on his face and then slammed back his drink, banging the empty glass down on the bar with zeal. Rabastan stroked his wand seductively as he gave his reply.

"I think we need to pay the Longbottoms a visit."

The timbre of Bella's voice could only be described as pure evil as she cooed, "I agree."


	41. The Last Battle

**Chapter 41**

**The Last Battle**

The Longbottoms were not clueless fools. They knew perfectly well that they were prime targets for the many Death Eaters that believed there was still hope that their master would return. That is why they sent their young son to live safely with his grandmother and constantly changed the security spells guarding their home. Unluckily for them, Rabastan Lestrange was a master at breaking security charms and only a night after hearing Crouch's revealing inside information he was outside of the Longbottom home showing off his special talent. In an alarmingly short amount of time Bella, Rodolphus and Barty heard the click of a door unlocking and silently entered the home. While the three men secured Frank and Alice, Bella tore through the house looking for their child. When it was obvious he was nowhere to be found Bella joined the rest of the party and stated with a sick amount of joy, "The kid's not here so I guess we will have to do this the hard way"

All three followed Bella's lead and shouted "Crucio". Screams echoed through the halls of the Longbottom home as they were mercilessly tortured. After a minute or two, Bella raised her hand and the curses were lifted.

"Now" Bella addressed the couple who lay on the floor panting, "I want to know where the Dark Lord is. You were there and I know there were clues, tell me now!"

Frank looked up at his deranged tormentors and gasped,"There was no trace of him, I swear it. The Ministry has no idea what happened that night"

Bella pointed her wand at Alice, "You really do want to do this the hard way, don't you. Maybe watching your wife die a slow, painful death will jog your memory. CRUCIO!"

"NOOOO!" Frank cried as his wife screeched in agony, "We know nothing! Please, stop!" He crawled to Bella and grabbed her booted leg "I beg you, leave her alone."

Bella laughed as she kicked Frank off of her. "She dies, and then, so do you."

The Death Eaters held the Cruciatus curses on their victims so long that soon the screams stop and they were reduced to silently twitching.

"We had better get going, they will be dead soon enough." Rodolphus barked to the others. The spells were lifted and, leaving the Longbottoms to die, they made a hasty retreat.

Bella yawned as she took the morning Prophet from the owl that had just flown into the foyer. The headline made her not only stop yawning but stop breathing all together. It read 'Auror and wife nearly tortured to death last night' It was the word 'nearly' that took her breath away. She read on. 'Respected Auror Frank Longbottom and his wife Alice were brutally assaulted in their home last night by angry followers of You-Know-Who. By means of the Cruciatus curse they were tortured by these known Death Eaters who were desperate for any sign of their defeated master. A spokes-wizard for the Ministry told reporters that there was a strong chance that, though severely injured, the Longbottoms may be able to name their attackers.'

As the paper slipped from her grasp, the front door crashed open and before she could even shriek, bellowed stunners knocked her off her feet and into blackness.

"Envenerate"

Bella regained consciousness only to realize that she was sitting on the floor in the foyer with her hands bound behind her back. Three aurors had their wands out and ready. There was no sign of Rodolphus.

"Where is my husband?" Bella demanded.

The answer was a slap across the face and a barked order.

"Shut your face bitch!"

"Fuck you!" she spat out as she furiously tried to kick anyone within reach. The man who had slapped Bella grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head against the wall.

"I said shut up! You have no right to speak to me. You are a filthy, murderous whore not even fit to lick my boots."

Bella leered at him defiantly "Men lick _my_ boots, not the other way around, asshole."

"Get off of my wife you fucking bastard!"

Rodolphus Lestrange, hands bound but still struggling, was escorted into the scene by Alastor Moody.

"Let go of her, Nigel. If you hurt her it will mean an investigation by internal affairs and I hate dealing with those idiots"

Nigel reluctantly released his grip on Bella's hair and backed off. Moody pushed Rodolphus down to the floor next to his wife and gave orders for the house to be thoroughly searched.

"Check everywhere but be careful, you can be sure this place has some pretty nasty security jinxes in place. You saw how many of us it took to just get through the front door."

Rodolphus looked very puzzled as they sat there and Bella started to laugh.

"Who would have thought we would be rounded up in our pajamas? This is the silliest thing that has ever happened to me."

Rodolphus cracked a smile; he could see what she meant. He was wearing black silk pajama bottoms and no shirt and Bella had pulled on his white linen shirt from the night before just to dash downstairs to get the paper. They looked far from dangerous and intimidating. Rodolphus leaned in, kissed her and whispered, "It will be alright"

Bella nodded and laid her head on his shoulder. After what seemed like hours, Moody came in and got the couple to their feet.

"Time to go. The Dementors are just dying to meet you and I hate to keep them waiting."

Bella tossed her hair with a proud arrogance and Rodolphus held his head high. But the confidence was a show for the Ministry. In reality, they were both afraid. There had been no sign of the Dark Lords return and, without that, the possibility of a prison stay seemed eminent.

Azkaban was a foreboding fortress on a jagged rock of an island in the middle of the Irish Sea. As Bella was marched down the dank corridor eerily lit by torchlight, the howls and whimpers of prisoners echoed around her. Some just stared out the bars of their cells in silent despair; a few reached out and tried to grab her. Bella's heart was racing as she started feel the effect of the Dementors. Flashes of horrible memories began to invade her mind. As she continued walking she tried to avoid the eyes of those who still had the curiosity to wonder who was coming to join them. And then she saw him. His black hair was long and scraggly and his face sunken and pale but there was no mistaking who he was. Sirius met her gaze with an oddly sane expression. Bella held her head high and kept walking toward her fate.

She was only in her cell for a few hours when Bartemius Crouch Sr. paid her a visit. She steeled herself, for their last encounter had been brutal and, had it not been for a coordinated rescue effort, she might not have survived it. However, as soon as he walked in she noticed a difference. His eyes no longer had that same zealous glow, in fact, they looked dead.

"He helped you escape me the first time, didn't he?"

Crouch's voice was steady, quiet and full of disappointment.

Bella surveyed the broken man in front of her. Would he condemn his own son to rot in this hellhole? She finally answered him.

"Yes, he helped me."

"Why? Did you seduce him? Were you having an affair with my son?"

Bella shook her head, "No, I never had an affair with Barty. He sought us out on his own accord. Your son didn't join Voldemort because of me. I never even liked him. He joined because he was cruel and violent and the Dark Lord gave him an outlet for his deviance. That boy was twisted well before I ever laid eyes on him. If you are looking for someone to blame, try looking in the mirror. "

Bartemius Crouch's only response was to inform her of her date with the Wizengamot.

"Tomorrow at 8:00 am you and your accomplices will face trial for your despicable deeds."

Bella spent a restless night trying to block out the draining effects of the Dementors and was relieved when it was finally time to be escorted to the Ministry. Unluckily she was such a high security prisoner that Dementors were the only guards anyone felt would suffice to escort such a dangerous witch into the courtroom. "Oh well" she thought "At least there are only six of them"

Outside of the prison she was reunited with her co-conspirators.

"Rodolphus!" She cried and rushed towards him only to be thrown backwards by the outstretched arm of one of the black creatures. A scuffle ensued as Rodolphus attempted to defend his wife but it quickly ended as a couple of extra Dementors swarmed them and then they apparated to London.

Outside the courtroom they stood. Bella, Rodolphus, Rabastan and Barty waited to be called before the Wizengamot. Each one of them knew their fate. A travesty of a trial followed by a declaration of life in Azkaban. There was however one last shred of hope. Barty was shivering and weeping like a small, frightened child. He was getting in full character before he appeared before his father. If he could get leniency he would be able to speed up the search for Voldemort and free the others. A booming voice finally summoned them.

"Bring in the accused!"

The Dementors escorted them to four chairs that immediately bound each prisoner with thick, heavy chains. Bella sat tall and proud, her gaze scorning the assembled audience. Barty's frail mother wept in the front row as his father began to read the details of their brutal crime.

"Frank and Alice Longbottom were viciously subjected to the Cruciatus curse until they were left for dead. A child is now left all but orphaned because of the love of a sick, criminal lifestyle and the delusion that the patriarch of that life will be resurrected."

Barty Jr. wailed, pleading, "Father, I didn't do this! I wasn't there!"

Crouch senior turned away in disgust and continued, bellowing over the protests of his only child.

"The last words uttered by Frank Longbottom before he fell into his silent world of madness were the names of his assailants. All of those who have seen the evidence and feel the just punishment is life in Azkaban; raise your hands!"

"Mother! Don't let him do this! I am innocent!"

His cries and tears did not faze the jury as, without the slightest hesitation, every single hand went into the air.

The crowd broke out into applause and cheers, drowning out Barty's pleas of innocence. The Dementors returned and as they began to lead the condemned quartet to their fate Bella shouted for all to hear.

"The Dark Lord will rise again! He will reward us for our unwavering loyalty! We alone tried to find him!"

The crowd was in an uproar at these words and it took several minutes after the prisoners left before order was restored in the courtroom. As outraged yelling turned to angry muttering, no one noticed that in her deep despair, Mrs. Crouch had collapsed. Just another soul shattered by Lord Voldemort and his malevolent followers. Pity that among those followers was her only son.

Back in Azkaban, Bella was separated from Rodolphus. Their only goodbye was a quick grasp of a hand and a whispered 'I love you' as she was led towards the women's ward. In a cold, dingy room she was given a faded prison robe and told to change. Narcissa had sent her a set of gorgeous dark red silk robes for court and she fingered the fabric for a long time before a matron barked at her to hurry up. Stripped of all of her possessions, she was escorted down yet another dimly lit corridor to her cell. It was barely more than a broom cupboard in size. There were no windows but that was fine because the dimmer the light the harder it was to see the ample supply rats and spiders.

"Your meals are shoved through the little slot in the bottom of the door and you get thirty minutes out in the yard once a week. That is until the Dementors drain you to the point where you can't walk."

The matron slammed the door with a self satisfied chuckle and Bella was officially incarcerated. She sat on the bed. The mattress was wafer thin and smelled like urine and sweat. The gray blanket was so worn it looked more like gauze than woven wool. She wrapped it around her shoulders though it did little to ward off the damp chill. As Bella sat shivering from cold and a bit of fear she willed herself to be strong, after all, the Dark Lord would be returning any day now. She was sure this would last at the most a month. Thirty days isn't that long to wait…….

The End

Wow, I can't believe it's done! I am posting this on the eve of the 'Order of The Phoenix' movie premiere and I am anxious to see Bellatrix on the big screen. I think Helena Bonham Carter will do our favorite femme fatale justice. Big thanks go out to everyone who read and enjoyed this story. The biggest thanks goes to JK Rowling for inventing such a fantastic world and great characters that make all of us look around when a car backfires because we are just sure that was a wizard Apparating.


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